The Wedding Date
by gleekinout
Summary: A simple lie brought them together. She needed to prove she could move on, and he needed a distraction. They both knew what they had was fake, that in the end neither of them would get hurt. Too bad they were the only two who couldn't see they were perfect for each other. AU Puckleberry
1. Writing the Plot

_**It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together...and I knew it. - Sleepless in Seattle  
**_

* * *

Rachel Berry stepped off the train, the blue binder secured firmly in her arms. The binder (and everything inside it) wasn't just her life, it was her future. After nearly four years and hundreds of auditions, she had finally landed a starring role on Broadway. In fact, she'd landed her _first_ role on Broadway.

She supposed she could have slipped the binder into her backpack, but Rachel wasn't taking any chances of loosing it. She located the stairs leading up to Canal Street from the R train station, glancing around at all the people brushing past her to make it home before dinner. Rachel' arms instinctively tightened around the binder in her arms as she turned on her heel, heading in the direction of her apartment building.

At twenty-seven years old, Rachel was finally living the life she had so desperately wanted since she was five. The daughter of a gay couple and their chronically single friend, Rachel Berry had grown up with dreams of making it big on Broadway. High school in Ohio followed by college in the city, Rachel was finally being given a chance to show the world this was where she belonged.

She quickly punched in the code on the outer door of her building and waited for the click, pulling the large brass door open when she heard it. Rachel waved to Spencer, the front desk concierge of her building as she passed by him, a smile on her face.

"Good afternoon Miss Berry," he called to her with a wave. "You look lovely today. Good news I'm assuming?"

Rachel grinned and nodded, waving the binder in his direction. "It's officially official. Got my script today!" she exclaimed, her voice rising an octave with her excitement. "Soon you'll be keeping the paparazzi away from the door," she joked, adjusting the strap of her backpack which had slipped off her shoulder as she chatted.

"We'll be plotting ways to get you out of here and on your way to your premieres unnoticed," he laughed, turning to wave to old Mrs. Hotchner who had just walked in, her ancient poodle Peppermint cradled in her arms.

Rachel took that as her cue to leave, stopping at her mailbox momentarily to snag the stack of bills waiting for her. She gripped her binder, the stack of letters balanced on top, and headed over to the elevator, pressing the up button. Mrs. Hotchner and Peppermint joined her, the pint-sized poodle let out a few high-pitched barks at Rachel while Mrs. Hotchner steadily ignored her.

It was no secret the elderly lady didn't like the influx of young professionals who had moved into her building. She saw them as a nuisance, an intrusion on her quiet life. Even though Rachel had never once held a party or caused trouble in her eight months at The Constable, Mrs. Hotchner still saw her as a smoking, drinking, premarital sex enjoying heathen. the fact that Peppermint barked every time Rachel was near was proof of that in her eyes.

The elevator came to a stop on the third floor and Mrs. Hotchner got off without having uttered a single word to Rachel, swinging her large bag as she exited. Rachel dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding being taken out by the $13,000 Birkin bag.

Rachel rode the elevator up to the fifth and final floor, walking off the elevator and into the empty hall. At four in the afternoon, most people were still at the office or out enjoying an early dinner with potential clients. Not Rachel. Before landing her current acting role, she worked as a receptionist at a spa as a way to avoid starving. She was often home by four and on the couch by five enjoying Netflix and wine.

Rachel pulled her keys out of her bag and stuck them in the door, unlocking and turning the knob after a moment.

She walked in to find a scantily-clad blonde standing on a yoga mat, her body bent over at the waist as she let out a long hum. Rachel dropped her things on the counter with a loud thud, causing the blonde to jump up and spin around, a large smile forming on her face.

"Gillette!" the blonde greeted, launching herself into Rachel's arms, flinging a few beads of sweat onto her.

"What's come over you, bitch barbie girl?" Rachel teased, watching as Kitty Wilde, her roommate and best gal pal stood up straight, dressed in her yoga clothes.

Rachel and Kitty had been friends since college. The two had met at a bar while they were both sophomores at their respective universities. After a few drinks, some heated words, and a fight that required three fraternity brothers to pull them apart, the two became friends.

Almost everyone they knew could never understand why the two girls were friends. From the outside, they were complete opposites. Rachel was the only daughter of two gay men from the Midwest. She'd grown up in a very non-traditional family that almost every group in the USA took offense to. On the other hand, Kitty was from the West Coast, a California girl from birth. Her mother had married in to money and walked away richer with each divorce. They even looked different. While Rachel was petite and brunette with pale skin, Kitty was blonde, tan, and statuesque. Yet somehow, they'd remained friends for almost eight years.

"Just excited to see you. And your script," she said, gazing down at the binder. She brushed the stack of bills off to the side, lifting the cover.

Rachel slammed it back down, a scandalized look on her face. "Kitty! You can't look at that. It's top secret," she hissed, lifting the book off the counter and hugged it to her chest. "Dustin made us take an oath swearing not to let _anyone_ read what's inside these two covers!"

"Oh Rachie, stop being such a drama queen. Besides, I'm not just anyone. I'm your roommate," Kitty called, flipping through the mail. There was a bill for the cable, a credit card bill for Kitty, a few pieces of junk mail, and an envelope made of some very thick (and probably expensive) paper addressed to Rachel.

"I can't!" she insisted. "Dustin said he wants the show to be a secret for opening night. No one except the actors will know what to expect going in," Rachel explained, rushing to her room to deposit the binder on her bed before rejoining her friend and roommate in the kitchen. "It would be like you showing me Ralph Lauren's spring collection weeks before it debuts."

"I showed you the design for their new bag last yer before it came out and you know it you dirty liar," the blonde teased, drumming her perfectly manicured fingers on the counter. Rachel didn't seem amused. "Okay okay, fine. Keep it a secret. So, is this what I think it is?" she asked, spinning the envelope around on the counter.

Rachel snatched it from her hands, tearing the envelope open and extracting the thick cardboard that was inside, a small card and envelope falling onto the floor as she read over the invitation she'd been waiting weeks for.

_Mr. Burt Hummel  
_ _and  
__Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Victoria Miller  
request your presence at the union of their children  
Kurt Michael  
and  
Aiden James  
Saturday the fifth of July, Two Thousand and Fourteen at Grace Baptist Church  
Reception to follow at Shawnee Country Club ballroom_

Kitty let out a low whistle, reading the invitation over Rachel's shoulder before walking to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. "Sounds fancy."

"It probably will be. Aiden's family is rich. Like, old money rich. Kurt's marrying into a life of country club memberships, dinner at five-star restaurants, and summers in the Hamptons. I'm jealous."

"I am too. So who you going to bring as your date?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I figured I'd just go stag, seeing s I'm single," she said, looking down at the ground.

Sensing Rachel really didn't want to discuss her lack of a date for her best friend's wedding, Kitty quickly changed the subject. "So, what are you new coworkers like?"

"They seem nice. I mean, I spent five seconds with them as I picked up my script and claimed a seat in the dressing room. I met Riley, the male lead, for two seconds before heading home. He's cute."

"Oh? You going to invite him over for some late night rehearsals?" Kitty asked, her tone heavy with meaning.

Rachel's pale cheeks flushed red at Kitty's implication, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm still mourning the end of my relationship. Anyways, it's terrible business getting involved with your co-star. Every decent actress knows that."

"Speaking of former relationships, the asshole stopped by earlier and demanded to see you. I told him to fuck off out of your life, but he _insisted_ on seeing you. I told him to stop by tonight and maybe you'd be here if you weren't busy fucking your way across the Lower East Side. He didn't find that funny and said he'd be here around eight. I told him to go to hell but he ignored that."

Rachel sighed, listening to Kitty recount her interaction with Rachel's ex. She wasn't quite sure why he needed to stop by and talk to her. A phone call would suffice and then she wouldn't have to see him any more than was necessary, but it seemed she didn't have a choice in the matter.

"You know, since he is coming over, you should change out of your toddler clothes and into something grown up so the jackass feels bad about drop kicking your ass to the curb eight months ago."

Rachel looked down at herself, frowning. She didn't see anything wrong with what she was wearing. She had on a blank and white polka dot skirt that settled on her hips paired with a black tank top. She'd draped a large and baggy sweater over her shoulders then finished the whole look with thigh-high black socks and flat ankle boots.

"Seriously doll, you should sex up your look and maybe you'll get more action than just your vibrator between your sheets."

Rachel let out a loud gasp, her face on fire at this point. Kitty just laughed before cracking open a bottle of wine, pouring Rachel a glass.

"Well, if the dick really is coming over to 'talk', might as well self-medicate before so we're ready to deal with his bullshit." Rachel couldn't agree more.

* * *

Six hours and four bottles of wine later, Rachel was swaying on the couch while Kitty, still in her red sports bra and shorts from earlier, uncorked another bottle for the two of them. What had started out as a simple bitchfest had turned into a drunken night of laughter and bonding. Rachel and Kitty had lived together once upon a time before Rachel fell in love and moved in with her ex.

Of course, after catching him in bed with another girl, she'd left their shared loft with no real idea of where to go. Most of her friends had moved out of the city and were all over the country. Kitty had been the first person she thought of who she knew had a spare couch.

What started as a temporary place to crash turned into Rachel's new home. Kitty didn't mind, especially since her mom and rich step-daddy were paying for her rent, not her. Rachel payed half the bills and Kitty gave her a room, rent-free.

A knock at the door interrupted the impromptu girl's night as Kitty walked over, pulling the door to the apartment open, the bottle of Cabernet still in her hand. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear," she muttered, opening the door wider to allow Sam Evans entrance to their apartment.

Rachel and Sam had met when she was still in college. She, along with her friends, had gone out to celebrate her 21st birthday, hitting up every bar close to where she lived. At the third bar they went to, in between shots, Sam and his yet-undiscovered band started performing. Four songs, two drinks, and a few whispered words was all it took for Rachel to go home with him, starting a relationship that lasted for more than five years.

"World's largest jackass," Kitty greeted with a nod, shutting the door behind him.

"Supreme ruler of all things bitchy."

Rachel sighed, her head swimming with all the wine she'd drunk. "Can you two cool it for one night? I don't have the patience to deal with your passive-aggressive behavior tonight." She rolled her head to the side, regretting drinking all that wine. She needed a clear head to deal with Sam, yet she needed the alcohol to get the courage to actually deal with him. Therein lied the problem.

"Right, the diva has spoken. Now say your peace and leave. We were in the middle of drinking and laughing as we discussed your pitiful performance in bed," Kitty taunted, pouring herself another glass, her eyes never leaving Sam.

"Look, I know I left things bad between us and that was a dick move on my part. And I just wanted to come over so you hear it from me and not from the radio."

"Hear what?" Rachel asked, swirling her glass around.

"Chelsea and I are engaged."

If there was one piece of news that could make Rachel sick in an instant, that was it. Chelsea, the skank he'd cheated on her with. Chelsea, some bimbo blonde with tits three times the size of hers. Chelsea, the girl who told Rachel to enjoy her trip to South Virginia. He was going to _marry_ her?

Rachel was positive her face was white at this point. She didn't know what to say.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay," he said sympathetically. "I mean, she's coming to the wedding with me, so I just wanted to prepare you, especially since you'll be there alone," he said, a smirk on his face as if he knew she didn't have a date.

Rachel's face turned red from a combination of alcohol and embarrassment and she stayed quiet, not knowing what to say to him. She was mad he was assuming she wasn't seeing anyone. How did he know that? As far as he was concerned, she was banging the entire outfield of the New York Yankees. Still, she didn't know what to say without sounding drunk and pathetic.

"Of course she's okay. She's bringing her hot ass boyfriend with her to the wedding," Kitty said from across the room, leaning against the left pillar in the kitchen. "Didn't you know?" she asked as though it was obvious to everyone.

Sam's face conveyed shock. He obviously hadn't been expecting that to come out of Kitty's mouth. "Is that so?" he asked, his eyes flickering between Kitty and Rachel. Kitty had a smug look on her face while Rachel's was still red.

"Oh, it's definitely so. I hear them going at it all the time. I got more sleep when the two of you were going out and she still lived with me," Kitty said, adding in the subtle dig that implied Rachel's new and imaginary boyfriend was far better in bed than Sam was. "I mean, you know how vocal Rachel is when she cums."

Sam rolled his eyes at her. "You expect me to believe you have a new boyfriend?" he asked, turning his attention to Rachel and ignoring Kitty completely. "Where'd you meet this guy? What's his name? What's he do?"

"Why do you want to know? Are you jealous?" Kitty snapped, taking a seat beside Rachel on the couch while Sam tried to keep up the haughty look on his face, though it was slipping each time Kitty added a new detail about Rachel's budding romance, one he was slowly beginning to believe was real.

"Me? Jealous? Please."

"You so are," Rachel accused, looking into the eyes of the man who had broken her heart eight months prior. "Just admit you're jealous and stop embarrassing yourself."

"I'm not jealous!" Sam insisted. "In fact, I'm so not jealous that I can't wait to sit next to this new boyfriend and get to know him at the wedding."

All the color drained from Rachel's face as she recalled a conversation she'd had with Kurt two months ago, one where he told her Sam would be in the wedding party just as she would be. They'd be sitting at the same table, and now Sam was expecting to meet her non-existent boyfriend. She was totally and completely fucked.

"In fact," Sam continued. "I'll give Aiden a call tonight to let he and Kurt know they'll need to add an extra person to our table at the reception," he said, the bravado returning to his face as he watched Rachel grow more and more uncomfortable. "They'll both be thrilled to hear you won't be showing up alone. After all, how pathetic would it be for a maid of honor to show up without a date?" Sam looked down at his watch, rising to his feet. "Well, I've got to be going. Chelsea and I are going to this new impossible to get into club downtown. See you soon and can't _wait_ to meet the new man in your life."

The door shut behind him, leaving Kitty and Rachel alone in their apartment.

"What have you done?" Rachel gasped, her glass of wine sitting forgotten on the coffee table. "Showing up alone was going to be embarrassing enough, but now showing up without a date when I told Sam I had one? I'm going to have to back out of the wedding now. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about what an asshole your ex-boyfriend is and how he came over here just to rub it in your face that he's engaged to the skank he cheated on you with. He needed to be put in his place."

"I agree with you, but you've now made things ten times worse!"

"Au contraire, I have made things ten times better for you, mon cheri. Sam totally thinks you're full of shit. He's convinced you don't have a boyfriend that's going to blow his lame ass out of the water."

"And he would be right," Rachel replied, picking her glass back up to take a sip. "I'm woefully single and have been since I left him after catching Chelsea riding him like Seabiscuit. Explain to me how that's going to help me make him jealous."

"Easy. You find a guy who's a million times hotter than him and get him to pose as the guy you're having crazy sex with. Sam gets jealous and bam, you win the break up."

"Win the break up?" Rachel asked.

"Well yeah. Every break up has a winner and a loser. Right now, you're the loser. Sam has moved on to a hot girl and now they're engaged. Sure you've got the new job, but he's a rockstar who's becoming more famous by the day. Until you find a hot guy to shove in his face, you'll always be the pathetic ex-girlfriend who can't get a date."

"No need to sugar coat things," Rachel muttered under her breath. "Alright, fairy godmother, where am I supposed to meet this hot guy? I have almost no male friends, and the ones I do have are either gay or my old high school boyfriend. Where am I supposed to find this hot guy to flaunt in front of Sam?"

"Easy," Kitty explained, flopping on the couch beside Rachel once more. "I know the perfect guy."


	2. Casting the Lead

_**"You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not." - My Sister's Keeper**_

* * *

"Yo, Mr. White!"

Noah Puckerman looked up from his desk, his red pen in his hand as he paused grading fourth period's exams, watching as Justin Sabo, a junior student of his, strolled into his classroom, his backpack hanging off one shoulder.

"Yo Mr. Pinkman," Noah joked, setting his pen down on his desk, hiding the stack of tests in his grade book while Justin strolled towards his desk, leaning against it. "What's up? You're not due here until last period."

Ever since _Breaking Bad_ became a cultural phenomenon, there was at least one student per period who insisted on calling Puck Mr. White since he was the chemistry teacher. He didn't mind as long as they didn't ask him to cook up some meth when the principal was in the room observing his lesson. That had led to one very uncomfortable conversation which Puck had no desire to repeat.

Justin was one of Puck's best students in addition to being the pitcher for the school's baseball team. Justin also happened to love chemistry, despite the fact that it was most student's least favorite subject.

"Yeah, I know," Justin said, rubbing the back of his neck, a move Puck was familiar with. He remembered doing the same thing when he told his parents he'd accepted a job teaching in New York City and would be moving there instead of staying in Georgia where he'd grown up his whole life. It was a motion most guys did when they had unpleasant news. "I just had something to tell you."

"What is it? I'm trying to finish up last week's tests so I can get all the semester grades in before finals start," he reminded him. Thanks to all the snow they'd gotten this year, Puck and his students were in school more than a week after they were supposed to get out. He was looking forward to the end of the year as much, if not more than, his students.

"Well, my sister. She goes to that super fancy prep school on the Upper East Side You know, the one where criminals like me could never hope to be admitted. Anyways, she was telling us last night at dinner how her super advanced math teacher gave them the day off since she'd gotten engaged to her boyfriend the night before."

"How interesting," Puck said in a dull voice, glancing at the pile of completed tests as he attempted to figure out how much longer he was going to be stuck grading tests before he could veg out on his couch and marathon _Arrested Development _for the tenth time on Netflix.

"Her teacher's Ms. Cohen-Chang."

All the color drained from Puck's face at those words. Three years ago at a teacher convention down in Atlantic City, Puck had met a young and very beautiful teacher named Tina. She taught math at a prep school in the city and despised most of her students. They had chatted for hours, but when Puck asked her out, she said no.

It took many emails, texts, and calls, but Puck finally got Tina to agree to go on a date with him. One date turned into another, and after two years he asked her to marry him. Tina not only turned him down, but broke up with him, claiming she wasn't ready for a real relationship. Now, six months later, she was engaged. He guessed she just wasn't ready for a real relationship with him.

"Well, good for her," he said, finally finding his voice. "Glad to see she's finally found someone to be happy with." All of his students could remember the day Puck planned on proposing to Tina, and the next week when he didn't show up for class once. Everyone knew not to bring it up when he came back. Puck made a move for his grade book. "Alright, get out of here and get to lunch. I'll see you eight period."

Puck watched as Justin left the room, pulling his phone from his pocket and sending an identical message to his two best friends and co-workers.

_**Mayday mayday. Tina's engaged.**_

Puck had been teaching for nearly five years now, all of them at Abraham Lincoln High School. He'd moved to the city two months after graduating college, and a month later he was sitting in orientation, learning all about what it was going to be like teaching both basic and advanced placement chemistry. On the second day of his orientation classes, a tall and awkward-looking guy sat next to him. He introduced himself as Finn Hudson, math department.

They had nothing in common. Finn was from some backwards small town in Ohio which he left once starting college, heading for the big city instead. Puck grew up down south half an hour outside of Atlanta and loved it. Finn had been involved in theater during high school which he claimed was to impress his girlfriend at the time. Puck played football because it was the perfect way to let out his anger without being sent to juvie. Finn had been dating the same girl since he was 20 while Puck was single.

Yet they clicked. Finn invited Puck over to his apartment that weekend where he met Arthur Abrams, though he said he'd run him over if he ever called him Arthur. He preferred Artie. Artie and Finn were friends from college, and Artie was also working at the school, teaching in the history department.

Two _Call of Duty_ marathons and four boxes of pizza later, Puck was welcomed into their duo with open arms. They started spending most weekends out drinking while Finn told stories about his crazy ex from high school, Artie told stories about his only ex, and Puck told stories about the girl he'd hooked up with the night before.

They may have been assholes at times, but they were his two best friends and they were the only people he wanted to talk to right now.

Puck pulled out another stack of exams and started grading again, doing anything to get his mind off Tina and the Asian she'd dumped him for. His phone beeped and he paused, placing his red pen on his desk as he examined the message he'd just received.

**_Ouch, Rough man. Beers at O'Riley's with the guys tonight?_ **

Puck sent a quick reply to Finn, who beeped back to say he'd spread the message around to the other guys they drank with. A night of beer and wings would be great to get him to stop thinking about the woman who had ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped it into the ground. Hell, maybe he'd meet a hot girl who'd be willing to go home with him.

_**Sorry man. First drink's on me.**_

Puck smiled at Artie's message and was about to tuck his phone back into his briefcase so he could concentrate on getting a good chunk of the paper's done so he wouldn't be working on them all weekend when his phone beeped again.

_**Puckerman! I need your assistance and you totally owe me after I helped break you free of Marley's clutches after her bridal shower. Can you meet me at the Starbucks at 26th and 8th at around four? You're a peach! *K**_

Puck rolled his eyes, wondering what the hell she needed him for. Kitty Wilde was the best friend of his sister-in-law and had helped him avoid death at the hands of said sister-in-law when he'd managed to spill his wine on her dress at her bridal shower. He hadn't even wanted to be there, but his brother made him. Kitty made her see reason and Puck got to keep his head. She made him promise he owed her one and since Marley and Jake had gotten married two years ago, he hadn't heard much from her. They'd meet for coffee every so often. but that was about it.

Without having much of a choice in the matter, he sent her a message back, agreeing to meet her. Not wanting any further interruptions, he turned his phone off, focusing on his work instead until his afternoon classes started.

* * *

Since graduating college, Rachel had adopted a routine to keep herself both in perfect physical condition and keep her skills up to date for when she finally landed her breakout role. With rehearsals not starting for a week, Rachel decided to keep to her schedule, making sure she'd be ready for when rehearsals did begin. Wednesday was ballet day.

There was a little dance studio in Harlem that not many people went to. It was clean, air-conditioned, and had giant windows that faced the street, giving Rachel a perfect view of anyone walking in who could possibly disrupt her concentration.

Kurt's finance Aiden was in the city for two days, trying to figure out the best wedding present for Kurt. Of course, Kurt thought he was there on business. Aiden was spending most of those days with Rachel, getting her help as Kurt's main bitch. That also meant he was stuck at the dance studio with her for the next two hours.

From the moment she had met Aiden, Rachel always thought he was attractive. From his curly hair to his muscular beard and even his slightly stubbly chin, he was the complete package. It had always been a running joke between the two of them that if Aiden wasn't gay, they would be the most attractive couple ever. Sadly, he was extremely gay and completely in love with her best friend.

"And this is going to help me think of a wedding gift for Kurt _how_?" Aiden asked, an amused tone to his voice while he sat in a folding chair in the corner, watching as Rachel stood at the barre, stretching each muscle carefully. The worst thing that could happen would be for her to injure herself right before her big break.

"It will not. I just need to at least get thirty minutes of dance in today. Got to keep this body rocking," she joked, dropping to the floor as she pulled her pointe shoes out of her bag, carefully tying them on her feet.

Aiden watched with amusement as she took her place in front of the back wall of the room which was lined with mirrors. She went through her motions, her rear facing the street. He watched as guy after guy passed the studio, slowing as they caught sight of the girl in the window, watching as she moved gracefully across the floor.

He wasn't surprised Rachel got this kind of reaction from men. He remembered Sam calling him after he'd met her the first time.

_"Seriously, she's incredible. She's got legs down to there and a banging body. Her lips are so perfect and her eyes. Fuck, I just want to see them looking up at me while she's sucking me off. She's literally perfect in every way Except her tits. They could afford to go up a cup or two."_

_"You're a pig, you know. How about talking about this girl about something other than her body."_

_"Why would I do that? Seriously, if you weren't all about taking it up the ass, you'd want to fuck this chick too. She's that hot."_

_**I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch / Oh the bitch is back / Stone cold sober as a matter of fact I can bitch, I can bitch / 'cause I'm better than you / It's the way that I move / The things that I do**_

Aiden's thoughts and Rachel's concentration were interrupted by her phone ringing. Aiden laughed at the ringtone, curious as to whom she had assigned that particular song. His question was answered a moment later when she grabbed her phone from her bag, swiping across the screen before pressing it to her ear. "Bitch this better be good. I am going to see you when I get home so whatever it is you could have just told me then."

Aiden was only able to hear Rachel's end of the conversation, but whatever Kitty was telling her was obviously something good.

Rachel glanced over at Aiden for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Seriously? I'm at the studio and I was going to go shopping with Aiden after to help him pick out a wonderful gift for Kurt." Rachel listened to something Kitty was saying before sighing. "Okay okay, I will be there as soon as I can. Just don't leave for fuck's sake or I will give Adelaide your pillow for a chewing toy."

Rachel hung up her phone, throwing it back in her bag. She sat on the ground, pulling the pointe shoes off before grabbing her white flats out of her back, slipping them on her feet. She grabbed a grey sweatshirt, pulling it on over her blue tank top before rising to her feet.

"I have a favor to ask of you. I need to go meet Kitty downtown for something, so do you mind if I ditch you for a few hours? I would not go unless it was really important. How about we meet for dinner at around seven? I will call you when I'm home so we can figure out where we would like to go."

Aiden nodded his head and Rachel kissed him on the cheek, running out of the studio. He watched her disappear down the steps of the Subway station across the street. Aiden chuckled to himself, walking out of the studio. He pulled out his phone, dialing Sam's number as he flagged down a cab to bring him back to his hotel. He might as well see if he was busy for the next few hours.

* * *

"So, explain to me again exactly why you want me to do this?" Puck asked, sitting across from Kitty in the crowded Starbucks, sipping on a hot cup of overpriced coffee. He personally preferred DD when it came to getting his daily dose of caffeine, but he wasn't going to complain to her. She'd probably just bitch at him for bitching.

"Okay seriously, are you the dumbest person on the planet? You go to this wedding with my roommate and pretend you two are doing it like rabbits."

Puck gave her a look. "I know _what_ you want me to do, that was simple. I just don't get why your roommate needs me to pretend to be her boyfriend at a wedding. I thought weddings were the places where people go to meet other hot, single people to have kinky sex with. Doesn't this chick know that?"

"As I seem to recall, you didn't manage to do that at your own brother's wedding," she taunted. "Not that you tried your hardest."

"Not my fault all the bridesmaids were stuck up prudes waiting until marriage to get down and dirty," he teased back, sticking his tongue out at her. "Seriously, why do you need me to do this? And why me? I would think I'd be the last person to pick when you're thinking of fake boyfriend material."

"Look, her ex fucked her over royally. I'm not going into it because it's not my place and I doubt she'd want some stranger knowing what happened. Anyways, the asshole shows up to our apartment a few nights ago, saying all this shit. I was kind of trashed and told him she was seeing someone. But since he and the groom are BFF's, he's made it so Rachel's boyfriend is expected to show up to the wedding with her. Enter you."

"But why me?" he asked again.

"Because you're a million times hotter than her ex. If she's doing this, she's doing it right. Besides, if you two idiots get drunk and end up fucking, at least she'll get laid by a guy who knows what he's doing instead of some idiot fumbling around trying to put a condom on."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "So your friend is coming down here to meet us?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, is she a dog? Like why couldn't she find someone on her own to actually be her boyfriend."

A look of anger flashed across Kitty's face. "I don't know, why haven't you found someone to actually be your girlfriend?" she snapped. "She hasn't found anyone because she's been heartbroken. She hasn't gone out to meet anyone, and any guy that has come up to her she's come within two inches of chopping their dick off for invading her bubble."

"Sounds like a bitch."

"She's not. She's one of my best friends, so don't be an ass." Kitty looked over his shoulder and waved at someone. "Rach, over here!"

Puck turned and saw two women who had just walked in. One had black straight hair that hung limply over her shoulders. She had on a 'Team Edward' shirt and sweatpants. She was also at least 200 pounds overweight and he was positive there was a potato chip in her hair. He prayed that wasn't Rachel.

Instead of her, a young, slightly sweaty, looking girl walked over to them, a smile on her face. She had tight spandex cropped pants on that ended at her knees. The baggy grey sweatshirt she wore failed to hide her thin frame. Even with her dark hair pulled back and her face free of makeup, Puck was stunned by her beauty. She was small, both in height and build. The sweatshirt she had on was practically drowning her. He gazed down at her legs, trying not to be obvious that he was checking her out. Her legs were thin, yet still muscular.

He never expected Kitty to have such a hot friend.

Rachel pulled up a chair and set her bag on the floor, taking a seat next to Kitty on the opposite side of the table, both of them facing him. Puck was mildly disappointed she hadn't chosen to sit next to him.

"Puck, this is Rachel, my roommate. Rachel, meet Noah Puckerman, your boyfriend."

Rachel giggled a little, a light and musical sound. He felt his heart melt a little at that, wanting to hear what she thought of him. No, he didn't just want it, he _craved_ it. "Oh, he will definitely work," she said, her eyes meeting his for the first time.

They were a rich and warm brown that seemed to fit her. Long lashes extended from her lids, which covered her eyes slightly as she looked down at the table, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Her blush was even more adorable than her giggle. Yes, he could definitely pretend to be this girl's boyfriend.

"Well Puckerman, does she meet your requirements?" Kitty asked, drumming her fingers on the table.

Puck wanted to say that she more than met his requirements, but he didn't want to come off sounding like a loser, so he just nodded his head instead. "Yeah, she's great," he said, thinking to himself that she was more than great.

"Perfect!" Kitty said, clapping her hands as she rose to her feet. "I need to meet my boss for a dinner in an hour, so I'm going to head home and change. Besides, you two need to get to know each other if your going to be playing lovers," she teased, kissing Rachel on the cheek before grabbing her coffee and bag, walking out of the building with a wave to the faux couple.

"So, Noah?" Rachel asked. "That is not a name you hear all that often. Very biblical," she commented, taking in his appearance fully for the first time since meeting him. He was dressed in a crisp collared shirt with khaki pants and a blue tie that matched well with his eyes. His hair was neatly styled with gel, giving him a very professional look. He was clean shaven, though Rachel imagined he would look very good with some stubble as well. He had a square jawline with a dimple in his chin that was just adorable in Rachel's opinion. She could see his muscles were well-defined through his shirt. She smiled to herself, realizing how jealous Sam would be when he finally met him.

"Yeah, but no one calls me that except for my mom because she's my mom and my sister when she'd being a punk. Everyone calls me Puck. They have since I was a kid."

"Why is that?" Rachel questioned. "I think Noah is a lovely name."

Puck let out a groan. "Well, for starters, no guy wants to hear that their name is 'lovely'," he teased, causing her to blush again. "And when I was in second grade, everyone used to ask me where my boat was. Noah's Ark, you know? So I decided to start going by Puck instead. Puck's a man's name. He sounds like the kind of guy who gets the first choice of what ball he wants to play with at recess while Noah was the kid with glasses and headgear who no one wanted to play with."

Rachel laughed and he smiled, watching as she brushed a few strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail out of her face. "You do realize how utterly silly and ridiculous that sounds, don't you?" she asked, placing a hand on the table.

"Now I do. But at eight-years-old, I wanted to be the cool kid, not the loser with the weird name. I always used to go to teachers in the beginning of the year before they took attendance and tell them I was Puck, not Noah. The only teachers who ever called me Noah were subs."

"Well, would you mind if I call you Noah? I prefer to use the names someones mothers gave them. I would much prefer to call Kitty Katherine since that is her name, but she promised to punch me in the face if I ever did."

Honestly, she could call him whatever she liked. "Sure, I guess that's okay," he said, his eyes never leaving her. He also made sure to remember Kitty's real name so he could taunt her with that the next time she pissed him off.

"Perfect!" she said with a grin. "So Noah, tell me more about yourself. I think it is customary to at least know the basic things about the man you are supposed to be making love to."

"Do you always talk like that?" he asked, scratching the back of his head as she spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"Like you're out of a book or something. You sound like the main character of those old romance novels my ma loves to read."

"Well, Kitty often tells me I belong in the world of Jane Austen. I just think the English language is something that should not be abbreviated or littered with poor grammar. I suppose that comes from the thespian in me."

"The what?"

"Actress," she clarified.

"You're an actress?" he asked, arching a brow at her.

"A struggling one, though I did recently land my first starring role in a production," she said. Puck watched as she practically bounced out of her seat at those words.

"Really?" he asked. "What show."

Rachel shook her head. "No, you are supposed to be enthralling me with interesting tidbits about your life. We will come to me much later. Now, what is it that you do?"

"I'm a teacher," Puck said, lifting his drink from the table to take a sip. "I teach high school chemistry."

"So you are like Walter White without the lung cancer and meth empire," she said with a nod.

"You watch _Breaking Bad_?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course I do. When everyone I know is talking about how good a show is, I absolutely have to check it out. Everyone I knew was watching _Breaking Bad_. Even my mother who doesn't like anything except for musical theater and vacationing in the South of France kept raving to me about how much she adored the show. Why, do I not seem like someone who would like it?" she asked.

Puck shook his head. "No, not really," he admitted with a laugh. "But you sound like my students with that comparison. They all call me Mr. White and ask me to cook some meth with them which isn't that back except when the principal hears that which leads to a long meeting."

Rachel covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a laugh. "I am very sorry, it is wrong to laugh at that. But it is very funny," she said, laughing again.

Puck let out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty funny now looking back. It wasn't at the time, though," he added.

"No, I suppose it would not be," she agreed. "So where are you from?"

"Born and raised down South. My family's from Georgia. I lived there my whole life just outside of Atlanta. Ma's a nurse, Dad's a cop. Ma went back to school a few years ago so now she teaches too. I've got a brother and sister. Jake's 25 and Bex is 21."

"And how old are you?" Rachel asked

"29," he answered. "A bit of a range between the three of us," he laughed. "Jake and his wife Marley live in Fort Benning since Jake enlisted right out of high school. Bex is majoring in drinking and casual sex in Florida. Actually, I don't know what she's really studying, just that she's always partying and never going to class."

"They sound lovely," Rachel commented.

"They can be. Jake and his wife are having a baby in the fall, so I have to go down there for the baby shower and listen as Ma tries to set me up with every single girl at her Temple. She signed me up for a Jewish dating site right after I finished college to try and find me a wife."

Rachel arched an eyebrow. "You're Jewish? No shit, so am I."

"You should head down to Georgia with me for the baby shower. At least she'd get off my case if she thought I had a Jewish gal pal."

Rachel laughed, leaning back in her chair slightly. "Isn't that what a fake girlfriend is for?"

* * *

After talking for a few hours and getting to know one another, Rachel realized she needed to head back home if she planned on showering before meeting Aiden for dinner.

"Don't worry about it," Puck said as they walked out of the Starbucks. Rachel was apologizing for leaving since they were having a great time together, much to her surprise. "I'm supposed to meet a bunch of my guy friends for beer and wings soon anyways." He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "Let me get your digits. That way when we want to meet up again I don't have to go through your roommate."

Rachel smiled a little, pulling his phone from his hand. Her fingers brushed against his palm slightly and he felt a shiver run through his body. "Excellent idea," she agreed. "Text me your schedule for the weekend. If you are free, we can work out some of the details about this arrangement." She handed his phone back to him before tossing him hers.

Puck programmed his number into her phone, smirking a little at the name he gave himself before locking her screen and giving the phone back to her. He looked at her, an awkward silence falling between them. How was he supposed to say goodbye to her? Was a hug appropriate or was it better to just wave and say 'see ya?'"

"It was really nice to meet you," Rachel said, looking up at him. She stood at least a foot shorter than him, which was absolutely adorable. They were going to be the cutest couple at this wedding, he was sure of it. "I will talk to you soon then, yeah?"

Puck nodded his head. "Definitely. I'll let you know later what the weekend looks like, and we can decide what to do from there."

Rachel stood on her toes, giving him a giant hug, surprising him. "I am really glad you are my fake boyfriend, Noah. Sam is going to be so jealous when he sees you, he will not know what hit him," she laughed. She pulled away, giving him a wave as she headed towards the closest Subway station, disappearing down the stairs.

Puck watched her walk away and kept his eyes on her until she had vanished, not knowing that his life was going to change completely because of the tiny and slightly intense woman he'd just met.

Across town, Aiden was lounging on Sam's couch while Sam sat in the chair opposite him, his guitar strapped over his chest. He let his fingers glide over the strings, strumming a tune which Aiden assumed was a new song he was working on.

Chelsea, Sam's now-fiancee, was walking around the kitchen, talking on the phone with someone who Aiden assumed was her sister. Aiden would never tell Sam to his face, but he really couldn't stand Chelsea. She was rude, mean, and cruel. During the two times he'd met her since she and Sam had gotten together officially, she always had an expression on her face that implied she was better than everyone else. She also never passed up an opportunity to bash Rachel, especially when Kurt was there. She knew Kurt was Rachel's bestie, yet she didn't care.

Sam and Aiden had been friends since high school. They met freshman year, both new students. Aiden had moved to New York from Montana and was very out of his element. He was also starting to question his sexuality, but had no one to tell. Sam had just moved from Denmark and was feeling very self-conscious about his accent , despite the fact that he spoke perfect English.

They two were in the same geometry and biology classes, and eventually became friends when Sam realized Aiden was a lot smarter than he was and could help him pass his classes. Aiden, who wasn't popular, agreed as long as Sam introduced him to his friends.

He agreed and the rest was history. The two stayed in the city after high school. Aiden went to college at NYU while Sam dropped out of St. John's after a semester, opting to form a band with two of his friends instead. With his band now having two of their songs on the radio and gaining popularity every day, that had worked out for him in the end.

Rachel and Sam had started dating first. After Aiden eventually came out to Sam when he and Rachel tried to set him up with one of her girl friends, they changed direction and set him up with Kurt instead. At first, Aiden thought he and Kurt had nothing in common. Aiden was going to school for business while Kurt was in to fashion. Aiden like sports and going to the gym while Kurt preferred Broadway shows and dancing. Aiden never saw them going past one date until Rachel invited him to a party she was throwing.

Kurt happened to be there as well. The two ended up getting drunk and Aiden woke up in Kurt's apartment the next morning, his pants on the floor. They'd been together ever since.

Of course, he and Kurt had their differences. Aiden would have preferred a small ceremony with just their families and close friends. Kurt, being the diva that he was, insisted on a lavish ceremony with hundreds of guests. At the end of the day, as long as he didn't have to plan it and Kurt said 'I do' at the right time, they could have gotten married on Mars.

"New song?" Aiden asked as Sam continued playing his guitar.

"Sort of. I've got the music all written, but I can't write lyrics for shit. That was what Rachel was always good at. Speaking of Rachel," he said, setting his guitar on the ground leaning against the chair. Sam sat up straight, staring seriously at Aiden. He sensed another argument coming over Rachel Berry. Sam had laid into him at least three times since the two had broken up about hanging out with Rachel.

In Sam's eyes, Aiden was his friend and should not be hanging out with his ex. In Aiden's eyes, Rachel was his fiance's best friend and he could hang out with whomever he wished to. Sam wasn't his mother, and he wasn't his boyfriend.

"Sam, do we have to go through this again," Aiden sighed. "I'm not going to dump her as a friend just because you dumped her as your girlfriend."

"I wasn't going to say that, honest," Sam said, looking slightly offended. "Besides, Rachel and I are on better terms now than we were a month ago." Aiden let out a skeptical snort. "Okay, she still hates me and wishes I would drop dead, but at least we can have a conversation without her screaming at me now. I went over to see her last night and we were perfectly civil towards one another."

"Did you?" Aiden asked. "She didn't mention that to me earlier."

"Did she mention her new boyfriend?" Sam asked, getting to the point of his question. "She has to be lying about that, right? I mean, Rachel can't have a new boyfriend." Aiden was shocked at how _jealous_ Sam sounded over the possibility of Rachel dating someone else. It was pretty funny.

"No, she didn't mention him. I'll have to ask her about that when I see her for dinner. Though good for her, moving on."

Aiden heard Chelsea click her tongue disapprovingly before letting out a laugh. "Please. Don't make me laugh," the blonde said, moving into the living room and taking a seat on Sam's lap. "That poor girl is so pathetic, she _still_ hasn't gotten over Sammy. Plus, who would want to date someone with as big as nose as she has? She's making it up just to make Sam jealous, I guarantee it."

Aiden shrugged his shoulders, ignoring all of Chelsea's mean comments about Rachel. He was going to have to talk to Sam later about getting her to stop that, especially when Kurt was around. "Well, she didn't mention anything about it, but she got a call and had to leave all of a sudden when I was with her earlier."

"I'm telling you Aiden, there is no way Rachel Berry has a new man."

* * *

"Okay, I hate to admit it, but you were right."

"What? I am sorry, can you pleaserepeat that?" Rachel teased, swirling the glass of wine in her hand once as she looked across the table at Aiden who seemed to be enjoying his meal.

"This place is pretty good, despite my original objections," he conceded. "I should have listened to you," he laughed.

"I am going to have to get you to say that once more so I can record it. Otherwise, Kurt will never believe me that it happened," she insisted, tilting her glass towards her mouth as she took another sip, finishing the small amount of wine left in her glass. Aiden reached forward, refilling her glass with the bottle of wine sitting between the two of them atop of the table.

"Believe what happened?" Aiden asked with a smirk, taking a bite of his food. Rachel rolled her eyes at him, pretending to be offended. Aiden let out a laugh, tossing his napkin at her. "Oh stop being so dramatic," he teased.

Rachel gave him a smile. "Oh fine. So, what did you end up doing with the rest of your afternoon after I so rudely ditched you?"

"Oh not much. Hung out with the DB and the bitch for awhile. Sounds like he's already missing you. Or at least not having you in his life."

Rachel arched an eyebrow at the mention of her former boyfriend. "Oh? What makes you think that?" she asked. Since seeing Sam a few nights ago, she was more convinced than ever that he was glad to have her out of his life. Why else would he be marrying Chelsea?

"He's bitching and moaning about the new song he's working on. He played me the music and it sounds awesome. But we both know my best friend and your former lover can't write for shit. He's got the music but no lyrics to go along with them. Everyone knows you were the one who had the gift of writing. I bet they crash and burn once they make it to the studio and realize they have jack shit."

"Is this your time to ask me to step in and lend a hand to my cheating ex, the one who showed up at my door a few nights ago to inform me he and his new paramour were getting married?"

"Of course not. Let the bastard burn," he laughed. "Though while we were discussing Sam and his inability to write a decent set of lyrics, he seemed quite perturbed when he brought up your newest male friend. I could have sworn he was jealous." Rachel shifted a bit uncomfortably. "And, since my future husband will interrogate me about everything that happens while I'm away from him, I figure bringing him back a bit of juicy gossip with prevent him from discovering his gift. So spill. Who is this guy and why haven't we heard about him?"

"Hell Aiden, just spring that on me why don't you?" Aiden looked at her expectantly and she realized she wasn't getting off that easy. "Look, we have not even been together that long. Just about a month now."

"Well, it's serious enough that you're bringing him all the way to Ohio to your best friend's wedding," he reminded her.

Rachel was seriously going to kill Sam. She hadn't even had a chance to tell Kurt about her fake boyfriend and Sam was running to Aiden to invite the fake beau, determined to humiliate her.

"Yeah, well it would be pretty embarrassing to show up alone. Besides, it is a great time for him to meet everyone."

"Okay, I want details. How's you two meet? Who asked who out? Has he kissed you? What's he look like and more importantly, how is he in bed?"

Rachel laughed, leaning back in her seat as an elderly couple looked over at the two of them, clearly disturbed by their conversation. "One at a time, and I am keeping this PG. You know I am not one to kiss and tell. His name is Noah Puckerman and if you write that down to stalk him on Facebook, I promise to flush your Blackberry down the toilet."

Caught, Aiden slipped his phone back into his pocket, listening to Rachel as she continued.

"He is a high school teacher, which I guess is not as glamorous as future rock star, but at least I know I am not going to find him in bed with one of his groupies. Though with my luck, I would find him doing one of his students instead. Anyways, we met at Starbucks," she said, concocting their how-they-met story on the fly. "I thought he had to be high when he asked for my number since I had just come from the gym, but I gave it to him since I was sad and desperately needed to get laid. He took me to dinner, and the rest is history."

"Is he hot?"

"Hot does not even begin to describe him," she said honestly, remembering the way Noah had looked. When she'd walked into Starbucks and saw him sitting at that table, she practically felt her knees give out. Never had a man made her feel so turned on just by his gaze, but Noah Puckerman had managed to do it.

Of course she found him attractive. She wasn't sure if there was a woman on earth who wouldn't find him attractive. From his dimpled smile to his stubbled chin, she was positive Noah Puckerman knew he was hot and used that on girls like herself. At least this time she'd be using him instead of her typical pattern of being used by guys.

"Even better. It's funny, you know."

"What is?" Rachel asked, flagging down the waiter for the check.

"Well, just a few months ago, Kurt was trying to convince Finn to set you up with one of his coworkers. Apparently, the guy was a notorious man-whore who had just been dumped by his girlfriend for another guy. Kurt never told me the guy's name, just that he thought you two would be a good fit for each other since you'd both been screwed over by exes. Looks like it's a good thing he never set you two up."

Rachel nodded her head without saying anything, a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe she shouldn't be doing this. She was lying to her friends, her family, everyone she loved. They all cared about her, and she was lying about one of the most important things in her life.

"Aiden..." She thought about what would happen if she told him the truth. She saw Sam's condescending smirk in her mind, his knowing look that she couldn't get over him. If he ever found out she'd made up a boyfriend, he'd never let her forget it. She had no choice but to go through with this. "You ready to go? There's a great little ice cream shop around the corner, and I have a craving for something sweet." Rachel took his arm and headed out of the restaurant, anxiously awaiting Noah Puckerman's text.

Suddenly, she was much more on board with this fake relationship.

**AN: I have links to my profile for who each character's looks are modeled after. Also a link to Polyvore where all outfits mentioned in the story are, labeled with characters and chapters. Please review!**


	3. Developing Chemistry

_**"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." -Dr. Seuss**_

* * *

Rachel's phone started beeping as she pushed her key into the front door, indicating she'd received a ext massage. She had just gotten back from dinner and ice cream with Aiden. Her head was spinning from three glasses of white wine, and her stomach was aching from a large vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone dipped in chocolate. Maybe she should have gone with the small in the cup instead.

She had promised Aiden tomorrow they'd spend all day looking for something that would be perfect for Kurt, and he had promised to be at her apartment bright and early. She was even skipping her Thursday run for this, so he had better appreciate what she was doing for him.

Kitty was sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, a large cup of soda on her coffee table, and a bag of M&Ms next to her. Rachel glanced at the TV and saw _Ghost_ on the screen and tears running down Kitty's face.

Rachel let out a sigh as she set her bag on the counter, walking over to her friend and roommate. "Soon I am never going to leave you alone here. Every time I do, you eat junk food and watch depressing movies."

"I do not," Kitty insisted, crossing her arms over her chest before reaching a hand up to wipe away some more tears that had fallen from her eyes. "My dinner ended early and you weren't home, so I grabbed a movie I knew you wouldn't want to watch with me," she insisted. "Nothing wrong with that."

Rachel rolled her eyes at her. "Whatever you say," she said in a sing-song voice. "I am going to bed for the night. I will see you in the morning, doll." She blew her roommate a kiss, collecting her bag before heading into her room.

Rachel stripped off her skirt blouse, tossing them into her hamper. She pulled out a grey nightgown that fell to her mid-thigh, pairing that with a pair of white panties. She pulled her dark hair up into a messy bun atop her head and settled onto her bed.

Rachel's room was very simple yet very interesting at the same time. Her bed had a tan headboard with white sheets and a white comforter. A large tan light hung above the bed as well. All the color came from the pillows. She had about nine decoration pillows, each with a colorful and interesting design on them. The walls and remaining furniture were tan as well, but all the accent pieces were colors found in her bed pillows.

She had a keyboard in the corner of her bedroom with piles of sheet music on it. On her bedside table, there were four or five notebooks, each filled with words and music she had written.

Rachel had always been interested in writing music, she'd just never had the chance to show it off. In high school, she had always begged Sandy Ryerson, their glee club director, to let her try writing a song to perform. She was convinced judges were looking for originality. He refused and she was convinced that was the reason New Directions, her glee club, hadn't placed at Regionals her senior year.

For college, she'd gone the safe route and auditioned with songs that were already known per Kurt's advice instead of using something she'd written. The panel had expressed a desire for originality, and she waitlisted at NYU and Juilliard, finding luck when someone else dropped out of Juilliard at the last minute.

It was only after graduating and moving in with Sam that Rachel finally got her chance to show off her writing abilities. Sam and his two band members, Brody and Elliot, were struggling to write songs. They had the music down but no lyrics.

Rachel showed Sam her binders and notebooks fill of unrecorded songs, and that was it. Rachel let the band record her songs and even agreed to let Sam take credit for the lyrics. After all, it would be humiliating for a rock band to admit they couldn't write their own lyrics. Of course, a few people knew she really wrote them, but all of the band's fans thought Sam was the lyrical genius, not her.

Brushing a small piece of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear, Rachel pulled out a notebook, leafing through until she found a page in the middle, running her fingers over the messy writing. For the past year, she'd been working on a song with Sam. It was going to be their gift to Kurt and Aiden for their wedding. Sam had even helped with the lyrics, though they were mostly Rachel's words.

She turned the page, unable to look at it. It was her favorite song that she'd ever written, and now it would never be recorded. It didn't feel right, giving a song she'd written with her ex while they'd been in love to her best friend now that the two weren't together anymore.

Instead, she turned to the last page with words in the notebook, looking at the unfinished song. She'd started writing it when she was still with Sam, a way for her to show him how she felt with him. Two days after she started it, she caught him with Chelsea. She left him and had forgotten about the song until tonight.

The song was about someone telling their lover how much they meant to them and how long they'd loved them. Obviously, it didn't fit her and Sam anymore. However, it would be perfect for Kurt and Aiden once she finished it. This was the gift Aiden needed to give to Kurt, a song written just for him, showing Kurt how much Aiden loved him.

Rachel reached into her bag, searching around for a pen. Her fingers passed over her phone and she remembered hearing it go off when she'd walked through the door. Rachel pulled her phone out, swiping across the screen to unlock it. She opened her messages, seeing one from someone called "Puckzilla."

Rachel couldn't remember putting anyone under that name, but she assumed it was Noah. He said his nickname was Puck, after all.

_**So you never told me what your first starring role is in before you ditched me and it's driving me crazy.**_

Rachel laughed to herself as she read his message. He could have easily ignored her, deciding to wait until the weekend to contact her and figure out when he was supposed to show up at her apartment. Instead, he was thinking about her enough that he texted her. It was both sweet and scary at the same time.

Rachel could lie to as many people as she wanted to, but she couldn't lie to herself. Puck was hot. He was charming, sweet, and she was very attracted to him. But this fake relationship, it needed to stay fake for her sanity. Sam had fucked her up big time. She wasn't sure if she could ever trust someone again, and if this fake-lationship suddenly turned real, it meant there were real feeling, real emotions on the line. As soon as that happened, she was just going to end up hurt again. No, she refused to let that happen.

**_Did you seriously put yourself as Puckzilla in my phone?_**

* * *

**__****_Did you seriously put yourself as Puckzilla in my phone?_**

Puck laughed out loud as he read the message that came across his phone, still at the bar with his group of dumbass friends. They were all trying to cheer him up after the Tina bombshell yet were failing miserably. The first time he'd laughed all night was reading Rachel's text to him.

He was glad she'd texted him back. He figured she would just ignore him and send him her address for Saturday, but instead she was mocking him. He loved it.

He had put her in his phone as Jane Austen. He could have put her in under her name, but Puck never used real names for contacts. It was boring. Most girls he hooked up with were listed under appearance or performance in bed. Tina was originally listed as Asian Lover but had been changed to Heartbreaker after she dumped him. Finn was Finessa, Artie was Wheels, Little Bro was Jake, and so on.

He wasn't sure how annoyed Rachel would be if she found out he had her listed in his phone under something that wasn't his name, so he decided to just not tell her that's what he was going to call her.

At the moment, Finn, Artie, Joe, and Rory were up at the bar, grabbing another round of beers and a plate of wings. They'd spent most of the night so far drinking and eating wings while playing a few rounds of pool. Puck was sitting this round out, letting the other four guys play instead.

Finn walked back with two beers in his hand, finding Puck chuckling as he typed something out on his phone.

_**I see you ignored the question. Does that mean it's a porno and you're too embarrassed to tell your fake boyfriend that? ;-)**_

Puck could imagine her face and her indignation when she got that and smirked to himself at that.

"Who you texting?" Finn asked, setting one of the drinks in front of Puck, watching as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"No one important," Puck said dismissively, swiping the beer off the table and taking a swig, wishing Finn would just shut up and get back to playing pool. Of course, the rest of the players weren't there yet, so that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"No one important my ass. You've got a huge grin on your face and I've seen you check your phone at least six times since we got here. So spill. You got a new FWB?"

"For the last time, I don't have a friend with benefits," Puck groaned, placing his hand on his pocket to make sure his phone wasn't vibrating with Rachel's new text. Unfortunately, it wasn't. He was mildly disappointed by that. "I don't know why you are assuming I do."

"Well for starters, you always have something to do when we ask you to come out after work, you're always staying late to do something, and tonight you've spent more time looking at your phone than talking to us."

The truth was, Puck had been making excuses not to hang out with his friends for the past few months because he was sick of them looking at him with pity, looking at him like he was the guy who was mourning the end of a relationship. Instead he spent hours in his office after work grading papers and working on the final. When he got home, he usually ordered takeout for dinner and spent the night binging a show on Netflix. Right now, he was almost finished the last season of _30 Rock_.

"Look, I've been busy, and I don't mean busy having sex," he said, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. Puck pulled it out, seeing a new message from Rachel on the screen of his phone.

**_I am highly offended by your implications, Noah. I have never done a nude scene and I do not plan to. I can promise you it is not a pornographic film, as much as your probably wish it was._**

Finn rolled his eyes as Puck's attention was drawn back to his phone and whoever was texting him. Finn took a seat at the table beside him, glancing back at the bar where the three other guys were. The bartender had just handed Joe a platter of wings, potato skins, and mozzarella sticks, meaning the guys were making their way back to the table for more drinks and another round of pool.

**_I'm just saying, it's pretty shady you're not telling me what this show is. That must mean it's pretty terrible if you can't even tell your boyfriend what it is._**

"Finn," Joe said, setting the food and his drink on the table. "Get your ass up so we can school Wheels and the leprechaun in pool." He clapped Finn on the shoulder, causing him to jump a little. "Sorry bro, but get a move on. I need to reclaim my dignity after that last game."

"Alright, but Puck you better watch and be ref. We don't need another repeat of the March third incident," he laughed. Puck took a seat on the stool by the table, beer in one hand and his phone in the other.

**_You are being rather rude, sir. I am not going to tell you what I will be performing in now._**

Puck rolled his eyes at her response. Of course she'd be like that. Typical girl.

**_Rude. Fine, be that way. I'm just going to keep thinking you're in a porno. You've given me no proof that it's not except that you say you won't do nude scenes. Which I doubt._**

Puck looked up from his phone as he heard some screams. A group of guys had just walked through the doors of the bar, and he guessed it was just their friends who were excited to see them or something. It wasn't like O'Riley's attracted movie stars or anything.

**_Rude. I do not wish to talk to you anymore._**

Puck laughed at that, causing his friends to pause their game and look over at him. "What's so funny?" Artie asked, the pool cue resting across his lap. Artie had been in a wheelchair for as long as Puck had known him. Puck had never asked Artie what happened and Artie never volunteered the story about what happened. Puck figured that when Artie trusted him enough, he might tell him. Or he might not. Either way, Puck was fine with it.

"Nothing," Puck said, glancing back down at his phone. "It's nothing."

**_Liar. You're totally going to keep talking to me._**

"It's just his new FWB keeping him occupied," Finn teased, knocking his cue into the white ball, watching as it sailed into the red striped ball, sending it into the corner pocket. "Suck it, Abrams!"

"I told you, I don't have a FWB."

"Well you have something, then. I don't know why you just don't tell us. We're not going to judge you. We're your friends," Finn promised.

"Actually, we'd be glad if you had a FWB or a new girlfriend or something. We're sick of you moping around about Tina. I man I get it, she ripped your heart out and is now ready to marry her new Asian boyfriend. But you gotta move on. I mean, you wouldn't even go out with my cousin," Joe protested.

"That's because your cousin is a nymphomaniac freak liar who once told everyone we were getting married. I'm not getting on that crazy train, even if she was the last girl on earth," Puck said.

"You're avoiding the question," Finn said, abandoning the game and coming to stand by Puck. The rest of the guys followed suit, surrounding Puck and his beer.

"Alright!" Puck said, throwing his hands in the air. "She's not a..."

"He said she!" Artie laughed, shoving Puck in the arm. "So it is a girl you're fucking this time," he joked. "What's the big fucking secret? Why you keeping this chick from us? She a dog or something?"

"No!" Puck said, a little too quickly. Of course Rachel wasn't a dog. She was probably the most gorgeous girl he'd even seen, though he wasn't going to admit that to his friends. They'd make fun of him forever if he did. "She's not ugly or anything. I just don't want you all to poison her mind against me," he fibbed, not about to tell them that the reason he hadn't told them was because the relationship was fake.

"Come on, we're not that bad," Rory insisted. Puck gave him a look. "Hey, Tina met us and didn't immediately dump your ass. I like to think she stuck around because she found us entertaining."

"What's the FWB's name?" Finn asked.

"Oh my god, she's not a FWB. She's my girlfriend or whatever. Her name's Rachel."

"Huh," Finn laughed. "My ex's name is Rachel."

"I thought you didn't have any exes. You've been dating Quinn since forever."

"No, I dated that girl in high school. She was super intense about theater and was convinced she'd be a famous actress some day."

"Well, Rachel's an actress," Puck said with a laugh. "Maybe it's the same girl," he joked, punching Finn in the shoulder.

Before Finn had a chance to say anything,, an arm was wrapped around his shoulders as a blonde, tattooed guy made their way into their group. "Squishy tits!" the guy laughed as Puck watched Finn make a face. "Long time no see. The last time I saw you, you were singing that lame song with the psycho ex."

Finn pushed the guy's hand off his shoulder, clearly looking annoyed. "What are you doing here, Sam? You know I'm her friend, not yours. This isn't even your scene."

Puck looked down at his phone and saw Rachel had texted him. He opened the message while Finn had some kind of heated conversation with the guy he called Sam.

**_I am not a liar and I resent the fact that you think I am. Do you call all your girlfriends liars? _**

Puck chuckled to himself, ignoring the confrontation going on between Finn and some guy who seemed like he was the ex of one of Finn's girl friends.

**_Just the ones who are actually liars. What are you doing now since you're obviously back from hanging with your friend or whatever._**

Her reply was almost instantaneous, making Puck think she was sitting at home and looking at her phone, waiting for him to reply. Kind of like what he was doing right now.

**_Wow, that is not cliche at all. I am teasing, of course. I'm sitting at home in my room while Kitty sits in the living room and watches a chick flick. I would join her but I prefer movies with a bit more substance to them. I am working on a gift for my friend's fiance to give him at their wedding. _**

Oh god, she was a DIY crafter or something. He imagined Rachel sitting in some pink room gluing sequins to coffee mugs in the shape of hearts or something. What had he gotten himself into?

**_What are you making then? Or is that a secret like your porno?_**

He grinned as he slid in another reference to her show which he knew wasn't a porno. He just liked annoying her.

**_First of all, I already told you it was not a pornographic film, as much as you wish it was. Well, I'm not really making it. I'm writing a song for them. It is probably going to be horrendous, but I will have to see what Aiden thinks once I finish it. How is wings and beers with your friends?  
_**

Puck glanced back at Finn who was still talking to Sam. Joe, Rory, and Artie were sitting at the table, finishing off the rest of the combo platter. He watched Joe call over the waitress, ordering another round of beers for them. Puck caught his eye, signaling that he wanted another drink as well.

**_It was pretty fun, though some blonde haired jackass named Sam came up to Finn and started chatting with him like they're old friends, though it doesn't look like Finn wants to have anything to do with him. I think he's the ex of a friend or something. Whatever, it gets the attention off me. They've been interrogating me all night about who I keep texting, and it's not like I can say my fake girlfriend or anything. So now as far as my friends are concerned, you're my girlfriend. Hope that's cool._**

* * *

Rachel read over his last text, internally freaking out. The fact that Noah was at a bar while his friend Finn was chatting with some guy named Sam wasn't a coincidence. Kitty had set her up with her ex-boyfriend's friend, and said ex-boyfriend was now having a conversation with her most recent ex. And she had front row seats to it, thanks to her phone.

Out of all the people that she could have picked as her fake boyfriend, she had to pick the one who was friends with Finn Hudson. She was going to _kill_ Kitty for getting her into this mess in the first place.

Rachel decided to ignore the bit about Finn and Sam. If they really were her exes (which she was positive they were), telling Noah while he was out with his friends was a bad idea. He might react and then his entire group of buddies would know he'd broken bro code by dating a friend's ex. Plus she wanted to be the one to tell Finn. They were friends, she could make him understand it wasn't on purpose.

With Sam, she wanted to keep Noah and him from meeting for as long as possible. She needed to make sure Noah was fully prepared to play her boyfriend before meeting Sam. Finn would be cool with it and probably just congratulate him on dating someone like her. Sam, however, would interrogate him about every little thing because he was the world's biggest tool.

**_I am honored that your friends now believe an up and coming Broadway star is your girlfriend. Do you need my resume to impress them with or are my amazing bed skills enough?_**

She was teasing him, of course. Surprisingly, Noah was actually fun to chat with. His responses were quick and usually full of inappropriate teasing which made her blush wildly and laugh at the same time. She'd never met anyone like him before.

Rachel hopped off her bed and walked into the living room, finding Kitty still on the sofa, her movie almost over. Rachel sat beside her, phone in hand, as she waited for the movie to end to start questioning her. She needed to find out if Kitty knew Noah was friends with Finn before telling Rachel to have him be her fake boy toy.

**_You claim these skills of yours are amazing, but I'm starting to think you're all talk. Then again, since you're going to be starring in a porno, you have to at least be adequate._**

She was going to kill him. Murder him in his sleep, really. He refused to drop the fact that she wouldn't tell him what show she was in, so he kept joking that she was doing pornography, which of course she wasn't. Rachel would never do something so degrading. Still, she didn't want to tell him what show she was going to be in. She wanted to surprise everyone, though she was beginning to realize she'd probably have to tell him, just to prevent him from calling her Jenna Jameson at Kurt's wedding.

**_Pig. I hate you._**

She wondered if he had been like this with his ex-girlfriends or if this was how he acted with his friends.

**_Liar. You totally love me. Just admit it. It'll make things easier, baby ;-)_**

The movie ended and Kitty got up, dropping her bowl of empty popcorn in the sink, the empty cup inside it. She pulled her hair back as she let out a yawn, stretching her arms above her head.

**_Shut up and go back to watching your fight :P_**

"Night lover, I'll see you in the AM," Kitty yawned, heading towards her room.

"Kitty, wait," Rachel said, rising to her feet. "I need to ask you something important." Rachel felt her phone vibrate in her hand but ignored it for the moment, wanting to get to the bottom of things first.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Did you know Noah was friends with Finn when you suggested him as my faux beau?"

"He's what?"

"Friends with Finn. Apparently, Noah is at a bar with Finn and a few of his other friends and they all just ran into Sam. Please tell me you did not know they were friends before you suggested him."

"Rachie, Puck's a guy I met once who I talk to from time to time. I barely know anything about the guy. Of course I didn't know who his friends were. If I'd known he was buddy-buddy with Frankenteen, I'd never have suggested him. I promise."

Rachel nodded her head. "Alright, thank you. Despite the Finn issue, he does seem like a good fit for me. I think he is the perfect man to make Sam jealous. I'm not going to lie, he is kind of hot."

"I knew you'd like him. He's a little slutty and a lot inappropriate, but he can be super sweet. Plus he just got out of a long-term relationship like you. I figured a few weeks of pretending to play love birds would give both of you a much-needed distraction. And if his snake visits your garden, even better. Then maybe you'll stop bitching all the time about not getting laid."

"Kitty!" Rachel gasped, her face going a deep shade of red. "What kind of girl do you think I am? I am not about to sleep with someone I just met who is not even my boyfriend."

"All I'm saying is don't be opposed to the idea when you both get shitfaced at the wedding and realize you have the hots for each other. I saw the way you two were looking at one another. Maybe this is fake, but it could turn into something real if you play things right."

Rachel shook her head vehemently. "No, it will not. I do not want it to be real. I do not want my heart broken again like it was with Sam. I just want Sam to be jealous and to see that I can move on, that is it," she insisted.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Rachel. All I'm saying is that you're both hot and were making 'fuck me' eyes at one another in Starbucks. You're a liar if you tell yourself any different."

* * *

Rachel ended up falling asleep texting Puck, passing out around two in the morning. At that point, Puck had been in a cab, heading back to his apartment to get a few hours of sleep before work the next morning. At one point, he'd told her the one great thing about being a teacher was the summers off, even if it meant he had to pick up another job to earn some extra money.

Rachel woke up with her phone still in her hand. She unlocked it, scrolling through the missed messages she'd gotten after she'd fallen asleep.

**_No, they didn't end up getting into a fight. Finn said a few things to the guy, gave him the finger, and then the guy left. I asked him about it and Finn said it was his HS GF's ex and he was a grade-A tool. _**

**_Hellooooooo? You still there?_**

**_Did you fall asleep on me? I bet you did you loser. Why didn't you tell me you were tired so I could have told you to sleep._**

**_Now I'm going to worry all night. What if you're not sleeping and you got abducted by a serial killer? The least you could have done was told me you were going to sleep, Rach._**

**_Okay I'm home and you still haven't texted back. I'm assuming you fell asleep so I'm mad at you. But if I see your picture on the news tomorrow and it says you're missing, I won't be mad anymore. _**

Rachel covered her mouth as she laughed at his messages. He was surprisingly coherent while he was drinking, even if he did jump to wild conclusions when she fell asleep.

**_Not dead, just fell asleep. I blame you. I always go to sleep before 11. You kept me up all night. Hope the students are not making your life too miserable! _**

**_Also, you still did not let me know if you are free this weekend or not. _**

Rachel plugged her phone into her charger and headed into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and cleaning her face for almost half an hour. She wasn't sure what time Aiden was going to show up, but she wanted to at least get the majority of her morning routine done.

Once her face was all washed and her teeth brushed, Rachel made her way into the kitchen. Normally, she'd already be busy exercising or running errands, but since she'd agreed to help Aiden all day, she was stuck at the apartment until he left.

Rachel poured herself a bowl of cereal and added soy milk to it. She chopped up a banana, adding it to the bland cereal to give it some flavor. She sat down on the couch, flipping the TV on to catch the end of _Good Morning America_.

Rachel heard her phone beep and glanced next to her, seeing a new message light up the screen. She swiped across the screen and unlocked her phone, scrolling until she found her messages, reading the one she'd just received.

**_Hope you weren't up too late flirting up a storm with the Puckzilla. I'll be gone until Monday. Isabelle, me, and the rest of the team are going to Paris to check out some new designs we may want to incorporate into the fall line. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Ciao darling! *K_**

Rachel sent back a quick reply, refusing to admit to herself that she was disappointed it wasn't Noah texting her back.

She didn't have much time to wallow as a knock at the door interrupted her breakfast. She headed to the door, pulling it open to find Aiden standing there, looking like the professional that he was. He had on a pair of khaki slacks, paired with a crisp white collared shirt and a navy blue sweater pulled over top. His curly hair was neatly styled with gel and Rachel noticed he'd shaved off the little bit of scruff that had been on his chin yesterday.

"I see you're ready for a fun-filled day of shopping," he joked, waltzing into the apartment and taking a seat on her couch. "Hurry up, would you? My flight leaves at six and it takes a good ten hours to get through security at JFK."

"We do not need to leave the apartment for the perfect gift. I was thinking about it last night, and Kurt already has basically everything he could ever want. You need to do something special, something original, something memorable. And that is when it hit me: write the slut a song."

"Rachel, you know I can't write anything that's not a scientific analysis, and I can't sing. That's not going to work at all."

Rachel smiled. "That is why you have me to help. Lucky for you, I am great at both. Well, better than great, but you get my point. I help you write this song, then at the wedding I will sing it while you show a picture slideshow of you and Kurt's lives together. He will be so thrilled by it, I will be surprised if he doesn't blow you right then and there."

"Classy," Aiden said dryly, waiting as Rachel ran to her room to fetch her notebook. "Now, I have already started working on the song. I am not going to lie to you. I began writing it while your best friend and I were still together, so it is in part inspired by the love I once had for him. I figured now it can be inspired by your love for Kurt."

"How's it go?" Aiden asked.

Rachel took a seat at the grand piano in the main room of the apartment, her fingers resting on the ivory keys. She played a few three-note melodies to warm up before taking a deep breath and singing the small bit of the song she had written.

_How long can I love you?  
As long as the stars remain above you,  
And even longer if I can.  
How long will I be needing you?  
As long as seasons feel the need to  
Follow their own plan._

Rachel stopped, looking at Aiden with a smile. "That is all I have so far, but what are your thoughts on it right now? I think I still need to tweak a few words in that beginning to make it sound right."

Aiden took a seat beside her at the piano, looking at the words on the page, thinking. "Well, it sounds a little cluttered when you sing." He picked up the pen, crossing out a few words. "There, try that."

Rachel nodded her head, humming to herself as she sang the words, this time forgoing the piano.

_How long can I love you?  
As long as the stars are above you,  
And even longer if I can.  
How long will I need you?  
As long as seasons need to  
Follow their own plan._

Rachel shook her head after she finished. "It sounds better, but it's still not right. Here, how about we change this," she said, crossing out a word and replacing it with something else. "And maybe change this too. Okay, listen now and tell me what you think."

_How long will I love you?  
As long as stars are above you,  
And longer if I can.  
How long will I need you?  
As long as the seasons need to  
Follow their plan._

Aiden grinned a her. "That's perfect. I love it. So what do you think for the next part?"

"Well, I envisioned the song is about someone telling their lover about how much they mean to them and how long they will be in love with that person. Of course, I thought Sam and I were going to get married at that time, but it works much better for you and Kurt. You two are perfect for each other," she said with a sad smile.

Aiden put an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. "I know Sam is my best friend, but that doesn't mean I'm taking his side in all of this. He did you wrong. If he wanted to break up with you, he should have told you instead of screwing Chelsea in your bed, knowing you'd walk in on them. He handled things about as badly as someone can, and I know he'll never apologize for that. I'm sorry, though. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you."

Rachel laughed a little, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I kind of love you, Aiden Miller. You know, in a friendly kind of way. I do not want Kurt going all crazy on me like he did in eight grade when we both had a crush on Tyler Mason," she laughed. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, one more thing before we get back to working on this song that is going to be amazing. I really am happy that you've moved on. Kurt and I, we were worried about you for awhile. You moved out and in with Kitty, but you hadn't moved on. Every time we saw you, you looked so sad, so lonely. That's why were were going to get Finn to set you up with this guy. You needed to move on. I'm just glad you were able to do that in your own time."

The feeling of guilt crept into Rachel again, but she reminded herself she had to go through with this. If not, she'd never be able to look any of her friends in the eyes again.

"Alright, we have a song to write," she reminded him, changing the subject. Aiden leaned over her, the two of them collaborating on what else belonged in his song to Kurt.

******Thanks so much for all the reviews, everyone!** You are all wonderful, wonderful people!

**Please remember to review!**


	4. The Arrangement

_**Love is like the wind. You can't see it, but you can feel it. - A Walk to Remember**_

* * *

_**You home yet?**_

Rachel pushed open the door to her apartment, stumbling in the dark for a few minutes until she located the light switch on the wall, flipping it on. The silent room filled with light and Rachel let out a sigh, locking the front door behind her. It was almost midnight and she was just getting home from work. That was the drawback of working as a waitress.

The plus side was always going home with a warm meal she could enjoy in bed before she passed out. Tonight it was fried mac and cheese bites with the Jerry Lee Lewis wrap. In high school, Rachel had been a strict vegan, but after a few bouts of anemia in college, her doctor recommended she go back to eating meat. She'd followed his wishes and now was glad she did. She couldn't imagine a life without bacon.

**_Yes Noah, I just walked through the door and am about to eat before spending the next several hours in my bed._**

She set her phone and bag on the counter in the kitchen as she headed back to her room, pulling off her uniform and changing into pajamas. She pulled on a white nightgown, letting it fall over the lacy red underwear she had on. She yanked the rubber band out of her hair, letting the ringlets fall over her shoulders. She made her way back to the kitchen, the smell from her food making her stomach growl in anticipation.

She opened the Styrofoam container, popping a mac and cheese bite into her mouth before she picked up her phone, noticing she had three messages from three different people.

**_Want some company? ;-)_**

Rachel laughed at Noah's message, covering her mouth as she did so to prevent any of her partially-chewed food from landing on the counter. Despite the fact that she had met him once and their relationship was a giant lie, he still managed to make her smile every time he sent her a message. And, as much as she refused to admit it, she was always disappointed when her phone beeped and it wasn't him texting her.

**_Maybe tomorrow :p_**

Might as well tease him since he was insisting on doing the same to her.

Rachel looked through her other messages as she waited for Puck to text her back, her fingers trembling with anticipation. She had one from Kurt and one from Finn, both demanding that she call them as soon as she got back. Kurt, she guessed, wanted to interrogate her about Noah. She wasn't so sure what Finn wanted. She was positive he didn't know she was the girl Noah was 'dating', though maybe he did.

Wanting to get Kurt's invasive questions out of the way, she called him first, listening to the dial tone twice before the line clicked and a demanding and slightly-buzzed voice answered the phone.

"Finally doll. I knew you were back from work. I was starting to think you left your phone at the restaurant _again_ when you didn't call me right away."

"Hello to you too, Kurt," Rachel replied sarcastically, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and flipped the television on. She opened the DVR, putting on a rerun of _The Bachelorette_ she had recorded, turning the volume down so she could hear Kurt talk.

"Oh who has time for hellos?" he ranted. Rachel could hear indistinct chatter in the background and figured he was at some kind of event either for work or his wedding. Or maybe it was something for his wedding at work. "My best friend has a hot new boyfriend and she didn't bother to tell me! I'm offended, Rach."

Rachel rolled her eyes as Kurt started ranting about betrayals and trust and how she couldn't have a boyfriend officially until he was Kurt-approved. She and Kurt had met in fourth grade when their classes had gym the same period. During dodge ball week, Rachel pretended to twist her ankle to get out of playing while Kurt had his father write a note stating his son was allergic to the balls used. The two sat in the bleachers for a week together, talking and eventually finding they had a mutual love off all things Broadway and show biz. At the end of the week, they decided they were best friends and had been inseparable since.

In fact, they'd never lived more than ten minute away from one another until Kurt found a job in Miami three years ago. He and Aiden had moved down south while Rachel remained in the city. The distance had been killer, but at least they were in the same time zone. Unfortunately, that was all about to change.

Kurt worked for Balenciaga as a sales manager at their store on Miami Beach. However, since his store had some of the best sales in all of the country, Kurt had been promoted. He was being tasked with managing all the sales divisions at Balenciaga's headquarters in Paris, France. Aiden had located a job there in the financial district. Two weeks after their wedding, the two were moving to Paris, and Rachel was going to see Kurt even less then she saw him now.

"Kurt, would you please shut it and let me speak?" Rachel finally interrupted as Kurt took a pause in his rant to get some air. "One, we have hardly been dating. Secondly, you live hundreds of miles away and I do not have enough money to hope on a plane for the weekend just so you can meet my new man," she fibbed, thankful Kurt wasn't standing in front of her. It was much harder to lie to him face to face than over the phone.

"Excuses," he scoffed before she heard his voice muffle as he thanked someone for something. "I refuse to meet your new beau at my wedding."

"Where are you?" Rachel asked, changing the subject. "Are you at a club or something?"

"No, Aiden and I are having a party, though I just stepped into my office to get some peace and quiet for a few seconds. Anyways, you're changing the subject!" he accused. "Now, when are you two coming down to Florida so I can be introduced to the new man? Aiden says he's a teacher so you'll have plenty of time in the weeks before the wedding. You should be able to get a day or two off from rehearsals to skip down here for a dinner and a say at the beach," Kurt said, not bothering to listen to her protests.

"Kurt, it is not that simple. I do not exactly have the money for a last-minute trip down to Miami, and I am positive Noah doesn't either."

"Wait, your boyfriend is a teacher named Noah?"

"Yes, why does that have anything to do with my ability to afford a plane ticket and hotel room?" Rachel asked, taking a bite of her wrap as she settled on the couch, feeling her phone vibrate against her ear. She was dying to check the message, but she knew she'd have to wait until she got off the phone with Kurt.

"Well, nothing. But I told Finn to set you up with his friend Puck who teaches with him and he refused because Finn claimed Puck, otherwise known as Noah, was too much of a whore for you. Looks like he finally relented and gave your number to him."

"He did not," Rachel explained. "Noah and I met at Starbucks. I realized last night he is friends with your brother, though I am quite sure Finn does not know yet. I was going to call him once I get off the phone with you so I can let him know I am going to be bringing his friend to your wedding next month."

"Good idea. Though, back to more pressing matters. Next weekend. You and your boy _have_ to come down to Miami. Neither Aiden nor I have anything going on with work that weekend and I need to meet this Puck or Noah or whatever he wants to be called. I've heard so much about him from Finn and I've met every single one of your old boyfriends after you'd been dating a week. I'm offended it's taken this long for me to even find out about him."

Rachel massaged her forehead, knowing how hard it was to talk Kurt out of an idea once he got it in his head. She was getting the feeling that she was going down to Miami next weekend whether or not she really wanted to. She just hoped Noah was free or she'd be incurring Kurt's wrath.

"Kurt, I start rehearsals next week," she said weakly, trying to find any excuse.

"Yes, but you told me you get the first weekend off. Finn's school gets out this week, so your man won't be working. I'm looking up flights now and I know your credit card information. You don't have a choice in the matter. You two will stay with us in the guest room. You'll fly in Friday afternoon and I'll book an evening Sunday flight back."

"But...but..."

"No buts. It's done. Tell your teacher you two leave out of JFK at 4:30 on Friday. Aiden and I will pick you up from the airport and bring you two to dinner. I can't wait to see you and meet your man. I'm being summoned now, so I'll talk to you later darling. Ciao, and I can't wait to see you and your piece of man candy!"

Before Rachel could get another word in, the line went dead.

"I am going to kill him!" she yelled, slamming her fist into a pillow on the couch. Like always, Kurt had hijacked the conversation and gotten what he wanted. She just wasn't sure how she was going to explain to Noah that they were going to Miami next weekend. Kurt hadn't even given her a chance to ask him if he was doing anything. Fingers crossed he wasn't.

Rachel opened her messages, seeing she had one from Noah from when she'd been on the phone with Kurt.

**_Oh, is that an invitation then? _**

Rachel wondered for a few minutes whether she should ask him if he was busy tonight or wait until tomorrow morning when he was coming over to work on their relationship arrangement. She figured the news that they were going to Miami in a week could wait twelve hours. She doubted he was going to get unbreakable plans by that point, plus she really needed sleep.

**_You wish. Why are you even up? Don't you ever sleep?_**

Rachel scrolled back to her contacts, highlighting Finn's name this time. She figured she might as well see what he wanted before she went to sleep. He probably needed help thinking of a good extra-credit problem for his final like every year.

"Beautiful," he greeted after the second ring. Rachel heard minimal background noise on his end, figuring he was at home relaxing and watching TV. She was a little surprised. She knew he usually was out on a Friday night with some of his friends. "I was wondering when you'd give me a call."

"Sorry," Rachel apologized. "I needed to call your brother first. You know how he gets when it takes me more than a minute to return his calls," she joked. Finn laughed at that. He was used to Kurt's dramatic meltdowns, having lived with the man since they were children. "So, what can I do for you this Friday night?"

"What you up to?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders even though she knew Finn couldn't see that. "Oh not much. I just returned from work so I was planning on devouring the rest of my food before climbing into bed and catching up on some much-needed sleep since I will not be getting much once rehearsals start."

"Oh yeah, when do those start again?"

Rachel chuckled under her breath. As much as she adored Finn, he could be quite clueless. "Next week. I picked up my script the other day. Though I know you do not want to hear me drone on and on about theater stuff."

"You're right, I don't," Finn agreed. "Would you mind if I stopped over at your apartment for a bit? I'm just leaving a restaurant nearby and I wanted to talk to you about something." His voice sounded a bit nervous, and Rachel was instantly curious about what he needed to discuss with her. Maybe he was planning on proposing to Quinn and he wanted her help with how to do it! Oh, she hoped so.

"Of course," Rachel said, already concocting ideas in her head. "Come on over. It's just me here tonight. Kitty's away all weekend in Paris for work. I'll ring down to the front to let the doorman know you're coming. See you soon." With that, she ended the call and placed her phone back on the counter. Of course, it buzzed instantly with a new message.

**_Not when you don't. Why would I sleep when I could be awake annoying you?_**

Rachel laughed at that, quickly calling Richard, the night doorman, and letting him know Finn was expected soon. He promised to let him in without giving him too much of a hard time and Rachel hung up her phone, opening her messages right away.

**_Jerk. I have decided I am no longer going to be conversing with_**_ you._

There. That should shut him up for awhile. With her phone clasped in her hand, Rachel took a seat at the counter once more, attempting to finish her meal before Finn arrived. She would feel bad if she was eating while he didn't have anything. That was rude in her mind.

Her phone vibrated and beeped, letting her know she had another message. With her mouth full, Rachel opened it, reading it over.

**_Sure sure. You said that last time and made it five seconds before breaking down and texting me. You're all talk, Berry._**

Rachel giggled at that, covering her mouth to prevent her partially-chewed dinner from dropping back into the to-go box. She brought her phone in front of her face, quickly typing back her reply.

**_That is only because you refuse to stop talking to me first. I cannot leave a text unanswered. It is rude._**

That was a bullshit excuse and she knew it, but she had to think of something to try and shut him up. She had a feeling he wasn't going to buy it, but it was worth a shot. Her phone beeped again just as Finn pushed the door to her apartment open, walking in.

Once upon a time, Finn had been the love of Rachel's life. They'd initially met each other because of Kurt. Rachel was Kurt's best friend, and Finn was his step brother. Naturally, they became friends too, despite the year age gap between them. Rachel was 11-years-old the first time they met. It was Kurt's birthday party and she had felt very out of place. Kurt had invited his entire class plus Rachel. The only person she knew was Kurt, but everyone wanted to hang out with him, leaving her alone in the corner while everyone else played pin the crown on Barbie.

Finn had ended up coming over to her, feeling just as out of place. Rachel though he was too tall for his body, but he was sweet and made her laugh. They became friends, just not as good friends as her and Kurt.

Finn developed a major crush on her. So big, he joined the glee club his sophomore year of high school just to impress her. It ended up working because soon after, they started dating. In fact, they stayed together until Rachel's freshman year of college. The summer before she went to college, they decided to break up. Finn, who had been in college for a year, wasn't sure if they'd last with him at Ohio State and her in New York. He didn't want something bad to happen an them to hate each other for the rest of their lives. They both agreed it was for the best, that they were better off as friends.

They still were friends, too. They had dated other people and neither of them got jealous. Finn had been dating the same girl for the past four years, and Rachel adored her. Finn had never really liked Sam, but he never said that to Rachel's face. Now that they weren't together anymore, Finn didn't feel as bad about hating the guy. He'd just always seemed like a tool to him.

Finn closed the gap between them and pulled Rachel into a crushing hug as she laughed softly. With Rachel busy with auditions and him at school teaching, they hardly saw each other anymore, even though they were two Subway stops away from one another.

"Sweetheart, it's so good to see you," he said, finally letting her go. Rachel was smiling up at him, her phone still clutched in her hand. She was itching to see what Noah had said back, but she wasn't about to check her phone when Finn was standing right here. Besides, she was a little more curious about what he wanted to talk to her about.

"You too bubba," Rachel said as she looked up at him, hopping back onto the couch. Finn walked around the side, taking a seat beside her. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"Not my fault. You're always at this audition or that job or another fashion show with your roommate," he teased, causing her to laugh. "I need the short Jew in my life," he reminded her.

"Trust me, I am not going anywhere," she promised. "So, I am dying after that very cryptic phone call. What was so important that you felt the need to come over here to talk to me about it tonight?" she asked, pulling her knees up onto the couch and against her chest.

"So I saw your ex the other night. I was out with some guys from work for beer and wings and he just walked right in."

"I do not see how this warranted a late-night visit from Finn Hudson himself. A text would have sufficed."

"I'm not done. Quit your interrupting," he joked, shoving her lightly in the shoulder. "He came up to me, of course. But he was asking me about your boyfriend. Imagine my surprise because I was unaware you were even talking to any guys besides me and Kurt."

Rachel flushed under his gaze, making a face. She was literally going to _kill_ Sam. He needed to learn to keep his big mouth shut about other people's lives. She wondered if he'd blabbed about her new relationship to her parents as well. She wouldn't put it past him.

"Hell Finn, it is a new relationship," she explained. "I was going to tell you about it, but I wanted to make sure things were serious enough," she fibbed. "I was not hiding him, honestly. Anyways, I think you know him."

"I do?" Finn asked.

"His name is Noah Puckerman. When I was talking with him the other night he mentioned a friend named Finn. I figured that had to be you."

Finn looked at her blankly. "You're the FWB?"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, the girlfriend or whatever that he couldn't stop texting all night. He was on his phone for all of beer and wing night. I can't believe he was talking to you the whole time," Finn laughed. "It's funny, you know."

"What is?"

"Kurt has been on my ass about setting you two up for the past months. He thought you would be a good fit since you both had your hearts ripped out and stomped into the ground. I kept blowing him off because I thought Puck was too much of a whore for you and you were too intense for him. But maybe I was wrong."

"Yeah, maybe," Rachel mumbled, feeling guilty. "You know your brother is forcing me and Noah down to Florida next weekend. Remind me I need to change my passwords to all my accounts so he can no longer hack in and order plane tickets without my consent."

Finn laughed. "I'm honestly not surprised. He signed me up for right after we broke up because he needs to get involved in everyone's lives. So does this mean Puck is going through the BFF test before the wedding then?"

Rachel nodded her head. "Not by choice, though. I have not even had a chance to tell him and your brother already ordered the tickets with my credit card. I am so changing my will and not giving him any of my Barbra stuff," she vowed. "And I bet Kurt hates him," she added.

Finn shook his head. "As long as your happy, he won't hate him. That's all we care about, Rachel. We just want you to be happy. And if Puck makes you happy, that's all that matters."

* * *

A few sharp knocks at his door pulled Puck from his sleep, causing him to sit up on the couch. He must have fallen asleep while grading exams. he glanced down, the half-finished pile of exams still sitting in front of him. He hadn't even bothered to cap his favorite red pen. Knowing he'd kick himself later for that, he placed the cap back on it before rising to his feet and heading over to the door, pulling it open.

Rachel was standing there, her hair soaking wet and her makeup running down her face. Even like this, Puck still thought she looked beautiful.

"Rachel?" he asked, confused at her presence. He couldn't remember if he'd told her his address or not, though he must have if she was here now. "What are you doing here?" He didn't even know what time it was. He glanced around, looking for a clock, but spotted none. It had to be after midnight, though.

"I had to see you," she breathed, her voice low. She was wearing the same clothes she had on when he met her at Starbucks, something he quirked his eyebrow at. He wondered if she'd been running late and got caught in the rain or something. Hey, it was possible.

"This late?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her. The rain caused her clothing to cling tightly to her body, showing off every inch of her flawless curves.

Rachel nodded her head, her dark curls flinging off small droplets of water as she did so. "Yes, I couldn't wait for tomorrow to see you." She slowly stepped into the entrance of his apartment, the door swinging shut behind her. She leaned back against it, biting her lower lip as she did so.

"So you've seen me," he said, letting out a yawn. "What's so important that couldn't wait until tomorrow?" he asked, every inch of him itching to touch her. She was so beautiful, so vulnerable. He wanted her, _needed_ her.

"This," she said before launching forward, throwing herself into his arms. Her thin arms wrapped around his neck as her lips fused onto his. Her entire body fitted against his and he melted into her touch. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she pushed her tongue against his lips.

He willingly parted them for her and she pushed her tongue into his mouth, swirling it around. Her hands moved down his face and to his collar, yanking his shirt open forcefully. A few buttons clattered to the floor and he stumbled backwards, not having expected that.

Rachel hopped down from his arms, her hands never leaving his body. She grabbed a hold of his shirt, pulling him towards her as she placed her lips next to his ear. "Where's the bedroom?" she purred, her hips pressed against his.

Without wasting a moment, Puck headed down the hall, pulling her into his arms and carrying her with him. He wasn't going to question her sudden desire, and he wasn't going to give her a second to change her mind.

He pushed the door to his room open and headed over to the bed, dropping Rachel on it. She bounced onto the mattress and grinned up at him, reaching down and pulling her shirt off. She was left in her bra and leggings. She propped herself onto her knees, heading towards him until she was kneeling at the edge of his bed. She glanced down at him, her hands going to the waistband of his jeans.

Her thumbs ran over the button before she popped it open. She looked up at him, her eyes never leaving his as she slowly pulled his zipper down, pushing his pants down over his ass and past his knees. She stared at the front of his boxers, noting his arousal. "Someone's excited," she teased, though her voice was heavy with lust.

She pulled him out, her hand running over his length a few times. Rachel grinned up at him before she dropped her head lower, Puck's eyes on her the whole time.

"Shit!" he cursed, sitting up in bed. His room was dark and he was breathing heavily, sweat running down his face. Puck looked around the room, not seeing Rachel anywhere. A dream, it was all a dream.

It had felt real. So real that his lap was damp from where he came when dream Rachel almost gave him a blowjob. He was embarrassed. He hadn't had something like this happen since he was in high school. Puck climbed out of bed, tossing his dirty boxers into the hamper. He cleaned himself up before pulling out a new pair, slipping them onto his body.

He stripped his bed, figuring it would be a good idea to change the sheets as well. Once everything was cleaned up, he climbed back into his bed, his mind still on his dream. He'd only met Rachel once (and texted her a bunch), yet he was having sex dreams about her. Her reached over to his phone, checking to see if she'd texted him back.

Nothing.

He wondered if he'd said something to annoy her and make her angry at him. He hoped not. All he'd done was call bullshit on her excuse of not answering a text. He'd done it in a teasing way, but maybe she'd gotten offended. He guessed he'd figure out tomorrow (well, later today) if that was the case or not.

Puck laid down, remembering how willing and in-charge Rachel was in his dream. He was curious if she was like that in real life or not.

He wondered if he'd ever get a chance to find out.

* * *

Thanks to his middle of the night surprise, Puck slept in later than he had planned to. He was supposed to be at Rachel's around eleven in the morning, but it was almost 9:30 when he woke up.

By the time he finally got his ass in motion, he was running late. Puck ended up getting to Rachel's building close to noon, something she was probably going to be pissed about, but it wasn't his fault the Subway was moving as fast as a snail today.

He stared up at her building, wondering what she did when she wasn't auditioning that allowed her to afford an apartment that nice in Greenwich Village and if she could give her boss his number so he could live there too.

After telling the doorman who he was, he checked his ID before letting him inside. Puck's building didn't even have a doorman. Anyone could walk in, and anyone did. He was pretty sure that was why his welcome mat had disappeared two weeks ago.

He made his way to the elevator, where some lady with an old poodle in her arms commented about how she thought there should be an age limit for renting at a place like that. She got off before him with a huff while Puck rode the elevator up a few more floors, finally getting off..

Every door was made of a rich mahogany wood that probably cost more than his yearly salary. Puck suddenly felt very out of place. Was this what the wedding was going to be like too, a bunch of people who lived in places like this? He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to handle that.

He walked down the hall, trying to be quiet. In a building like this, he was sure someone would yell at him for just breathing too loudly.

He looked at the doors as he passed them, reading each of the numbers. Finally, near the end of the hall, he stopped in front of door 833 and stared at it. This was where Rachel lived. He was about to see her again, and in something other than workout clothing. He just hoped he didn't lose his mind at the sight of her. His thoughts were still swimming with the images from his dream, and he didn't want her to think he was a big if he suddenly dissolved into a puddle when she opened the door. He had to be cool.

He raised his hand, rapping his knuckles on the hard wood a few times. He could hear light music coming from inside the apartment and something that smelled heavenly wafted out from under the door.

There were footsteps before the click of a door being unlocked. Rachel stood there, looking even better than he remembered. She was wearing a yellow skirt that fell to her mid-thigh. Underneath that, she had on a pair of black tights, though as her skirt moved, he saw they were thigh-highs. She had on a black and white striped shirt that was tucked into the waist of her skirt. The shirt was tight, showing off each inch of her upper body. She had on a pair of flat Mary-Janes as shoes. She'd pulled the top layer of her hair back, holding it back with a golden clip.

She was looking at him like she was genuinely happy to see him, despite him being late and possibly insulting her the night before. "Noah!" she said, opening the door wider. "I thought you had forgotten we were meeting today. Please, won't you come in?" Puck walked through the threshold as she continued talking. "I want to apologize for being so horribly rude last night and not answering you. A friend of mine stopped over and I felt it would be rude to text you while they were here. By the time they had left, I assumed it would be too late for me to answer your message. I apologize."

Puck laughed as he looked around her place. Everything looked expensive and he once again felt as though he didn't belong.

Rachel seemed to read his feelings. "I know it is a little much, but alas I did not have a say in the decor. Kitty actually owns this, she just allows me to stay here for close to nothing. I am not about to turn my nose up at cheap living in Greenwich Village," she said, laughing again.

Puck nodded his head, feeling a little more comfortable. Rachel gestured to the couch and he followed her over, taking a seat on one end while Rachel sat down beside him, her hands folded in her lap. He got the impression that she was a bit proper, not someone who tended to let loose and relax that often.

"Speaking of the devil, where is she?" Puck asked, glancing around. Besides him and Rachel, the apartment seemed pretty empty. There were no showers running and besides the sounds coming from Rachel's iPod in the kitchen, it was quiet.

"Paris, the lucky bitch. She and Kurt both work in fashion, so they are constantly traveling the world. Supposedly, she and the rest of her team are evaluating some new pieces for the fall collection, which is the reason for the last-minute trip to Paris. I assume she will return home tomorrow, meaning I am alone until then. At least that gives us some privacy for the next few hours," she added with a smile.

"You think we'll be done that soon?" he asked, mildly disappointed.

"I am not sure, though I only have that long. I have to start work at three, meaning I have to be out of here at quarter after two to ensure I arrive on time."

"I thought you said your rehearsals didn't start until next week," he said, remembering something she had said during their chat at Starbucks. "Unless, of course, I just made that up."

Rachel covered her mouth as she let out a giggle. She was impressed he was paying that much attention that he remembered that. "No, you are correct. I do, however, have another job. Being an unemployed actress does not actually pay that much. I work as a waitress by Broadway. I have since college, actually," she said. "It is a singing restaurant, so I actually enjoy going to work."

"Wait, you're a singing waitress?" he asked.

Rachel nodded her head. "I am," she said.

"I have _got _to see this."

"Well, you are welcome to come to work with me if you wish," she said, tossing some of her hair back. "I was planning on getting some drinks with a few girls from work after as well, and you would be welcome to join us as well."

"Only if you're buying," he teased, nudging her in the side. "I'd love to, though. Sound like a blast, especially if I get to see you sing while carrying a tray of fries," he joked.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "Anyways, we should work on our relationship agreement before then. If you are going to be meeting some of my friends tonight, we need to come off as convincing. We can practice on them before you meet Kurt, which is actually going to be next weekend. I hope you do not have plans."

"Why is he coming to see you?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, actually. We are going to visit him."

"Excuse me?"

"He sprung it on me last night!" she vented. "Sam told Aiden who told Kurt, and Kurt is adamant about meeting you before the wedding. He bought us plane tickets to Miami before I even had a chance to protest. We are going out Friday and come back Sunday. We will be staying with them. I feel horribly, but you don't understand Kurt. Once he gets an idea, he refuses to back down."

Okay, so he was feeling a little overwhelmed, knowing he was going to meet her best friend in a week. But at least he was going to meet this friend in Miami. There were worse places he could go.

"It's okay," he said. "I'll come. I can work on my tan," he joked, holding up his arm. "Really, it's okay," he said, catching sight of her face which was still looking a bit tense. "We'll practice on your friends tonight and be the most convincing couple ever when we land in Florida," he promised.

Rachel nodded, placing her hand on his. "Thank you," she said earnestly. "I truly appreciate this. I am pretty sure there are not may people out there who would fake an entire relationship for a complete stranger. Your karma is definitely going up because of this," she joked, fingering the packet of paper laying on top of her lap.

"Alright, let's hear it. What are my duties as your fake boyfriend?" he teased. Rachel handed him a sheet of paper and he read it over, looking confused. "Hiram, Leroy, Shelby...these don't sound like duties."

"They are not," Rachel explained. "That is my family. Both of my fathers and my mother. Then there is my Uncle Will and Aunt Emma with my cousins Alexandra and Daniel. There's also Nana Berry who is ninety and lives out in Texas with Hank, her boyfriend."

"That's all well and grand, but why do I need to know about Nana Berry and her boyfriend?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "You should at least know the main members of my family, as I should with yours. Now I know about your sister, brother, and sister-in-law, but what about your parents? Who are they, and what do they do?" she asked.

Puck leaned back against her couch, looking at the ceiling as he started talking about his parents. "Ma's name is Hilla, Dad is Issiah. They got married right out of high school and have lived in Georgia their whole lives. Ma's a nurse, Dad's a cop. They never fight and they're still crazy in love. I hope I have what they have one day."

Rachel smiled at his last comment, her cheeks going a little pink. "They sound lovely. Well, my father Leroy is chef and Hiram is a jazz musician. They are a pair of free spirits, really. My mom, Shelby, is an art teacher. She fits right in with us," she laughed, relaxing beside him.

"Your family sounds way cooler than mine," he said. "I bet you had, like, no rules when you were a kid."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Essentially. Mom gave me the sex talk when I was fourteen and put me on the pill. Granted, I didn't lose my virginity until the end of my junior year, but that is another story for another time. Back to the fake relationship," she said, flipping through the pages. "We need to discuss what both of us are comfortable doing so no one is forced to do something they do not want to and no one's feelings get hurt. I am assuming you are okay with hand-holding?"

Puck nodded his head. "Obviously. Snuggling, embraces, hugging...that's all cool with me. I might even throw in an ass-grab or two," he teased.

Rachel's cheeks flushed again. "Nothing too low," she amended, making a note on the paper in her lap. "Obviously we are going to have to kiss. I am okay with most things, however no tongue and no hickeys," she said. "Is that alright with you?"

Puck nodded his head. "Yeah that's fine by me. I'm good with whatever you want. You type it up and I'll sign it," he promised. "I'm actually more on board with this fake dating thing now," he said, not wanting to tell her it was because of his dream. He was starting to wonder if he played along with her fake relationship if she'd ditch the panties and fuck him at the wedding. Hey, it was a possibility.

"So, Mister Puckerman. We still have another hour before I must leave for work. I want to learn all about you."


	5. First Rehearsals

**_"It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight." - Lolita_**

* * *

**AN: Okay, I just wanted to point out something quick that someone mentioned. Yes, Puck had a sex dream about Rachel. No, that does not mean he only wants to sleep with her. Obviously, he is attracted to her and that's how his subconscious reacted to those feelings. He is genuinely interested in her as a person too, but he's a guy. Obviously he's going to have some not-very-pure thoughts concerning a girl he finds hot.**

Time really did fly by when you were having fun. When Rachel said she needed to get changed for work, Puck swore they had only been talking for five minutes. He glanced at the clock and was shocked to see they'd been chatting for over an hour. He supposed part of it was due to Rachel being an interesting person. He'd never met someone so fascinating in his life.

She told him all about her parents, where she grew up, even her former relationships. She skipped over her last ex, only mentioning he was named Sam and was a musician. Puck remembered the guy who came up to Finn at the bar, figuring that was her ex. Their interaction made sense now.

Of course, she told him all about her and Finn. He was kind of stunned to learn that she was his best friend's ex, but also not at the same time. Finn always did have good taste in women. He was just shocked Finn had let someone like Rachel get away.

According to Rachel, the two had dated through high school. She lost her virginity to him, and stayed with him his first year in college. Then, with him at Ohio State and her in New York, she decided it was better if they broke up and stayed friends. He'd agreed and they were still friends to this day. Rachel even got dinner with just his girlfriend Quinn every once in awhile.

Puck looked around her living room as he waited for her to emerge from her bedroom, glancing at the pictures on the mantle. There were five frames, all with various pictures of Kitty and Rachel. There was one from what he assumed was college, the two girls each holding a drink in their hand while they were both clad in bikini tops, a sign saying 'Spring Break 2007' behind them. The next frame held a picture of Rachel sitting at a picnic table, a rack of ribs in her hands and sauce dripping off her face. At the table with her were two older men and a woman who looked just like her. He guessed those were her parents.

The frame after that was Kitty with an older yet hot woman. Next to her was a man who looked at least ten years older than her. They both stood by Kitty with a protective stance. There was no doubt this was her mom and step-dad, but he couldn't help but notice the hug difference between their family photo and the one of Rachel's family. After that was another one of Rachel and Kitty, this time an on-ride picture from Disney World's _Splash Mountain_. Both of them had their arms up in the air and their mouths open wide.

The last picture was Rachel with three other guys. Two of them were holding hands while Rachel was on the third's back. His face had been scratched out. He frowned at that, figuring this had to be her infamous ex. If she'd scratched his face out, the breakup had to be bad. He was curious as to what had happened, but he wasn't about to ask Rachel. Obviously, it was a sore subject for her.

Rachel emerged from her room a moment later, a black and white polka dotted backpack slung over her shoulder. She wore a fitted black mini skirt with black stockings on underneath, a red and white striped shirt on top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her feet were covered with sturdy black boots.

She was definitely the hottest waitress he'd ever seen.

"You ready then?" he asked, looking her up and down discretely a few times, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. He was curious what the restaurant she worked at was like, never having been to a place with singing waiters and waitresses before.

"Obviously," she said, patting her bag. "Got everything I need right here. Let's go before I am late and get yelled at by my manager again," she joked, leading them out the front door of the apartment. She shut it behind them, locking it before tossing her keys into her bag, slinging it on her back once she'd closed it.

"Again?" he asked with a laugh as they climbed onto the elevator, heading down to the lobby. "You don't strike me as someone who gets in trouble a lot," he teased.

"Hey, it is not my fault Kitty brought home a case of wine and I was too hungover to climb out of bed to make sure I was at work on time. It only happened once, but I would prefer not to repeat it. Ann is pretty scary when she is mad," she giggled, climbing off the elevator and into the lobby. It seemed fairly busy for a Saturday afternoon, but perhaps that was because he didn't live in a building as nice as Rachel's.

There was an older gentleman at the desk picking up a package while a woman and her dog strolled past him and Rachel towards the elevator, not paying them any attention. A group of guys close to Puck's age was laughing as they headed out the main entrance while a family of four carried their groceries in.

Rachel waved to Spencer as she and Puck left. The concierge waved back to her, giving Puck an unfriendly look as he walked by. Puck was a bit taken aback by that, not sure what he'd done to piss the guy off. He didn't know, and he really didn't care.

Once they were outside, Rachel pressed the walk button, waiting for the light to change. She leaned against the pole, looking up at Puck. "So, you never told me how your brother and his wife met," she said, kicking the toe of her shoe on the ground impatiently.

Puck laughed a little. "Nothing really interesting with them. Marley moved from California to Georgia his senior year. They met, fell in love, and now they're having a kid. Ma's not exactly thrilled since Marley isn't Jewish, which means Bex or I have to marry someone Jewish so she can get her perfect Jewish grandbabby," he explained as they started crossing the street, heading for the Subway station.

"She sounds a little obsessed."

"You have no idea. I dated this Jewish girl in college and three weeks after I asked her out, she was already looking at invitations."

"So you are saying if she discovers you are dating me, she'll start writing our invitations?" she giggled.

"Yeah, and then once she meets you she'll book the temple. You are like, exactly what she wants in a Jewish daughter-in-law. Cute, sweet, and successful. As soon as she meets me, she'll get off my back. Before I started dating Tina, she secretly signed me up for a Jewish dating site to try and find me a wife. The woman won't quit."

"So, what you are saying is you need my help to get her to stop pestering you about dating a lovely Jewish woman like myself," she teased.

"Exactly. I'm not saying you owe me...but you kind of owe me."

"Jerk. You are the worst fake boyfriend ever," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "But, since you are accompanying me to Miami this coming weekend, I suppose I can agree to continue being your fake Jewish girlfriend and meeting your mother," she said, swiping her Subway card and walking through the turnstile.

Puck followed suit, standing by her side a moment later. He followed her around the station, getting on whatever train she said to. He had no idea where they were going, so he was perfectly content to allow her to call the shots...for now, anyways.

Rachel took a seat on the train while Puck grabbed the rail, standing in front of her while looking down as the train started moving. "So you do this every day to get to work?" he asked. "Why not just get a job closer to where you live? It would be easier."

Rachel shrugged. "I like where I work. Besides, my rehearsals will be in the same general area. I will be commuting there every day starting next week, so why find a different job now? It makes no sense to me."

"You never did tell me what you're going to be acting in," he reminded her.

Rachel made a motion of zipping her lips. "Later," she promised.

The train came to a stop and Rachel jumped to her feet, beckoning Puck to follow her. The walked up the steps, exiting the Subway onto 50th and 7th. He watched multiple people rush past them, more concerned with getting to their destination than enjoying the day.

They approached a building with lights flashing and music pumping out of the windows. The inside was packed and there was even a small group of people waiting outside for a table to open up. The sign on the building read _Ellen's Stardust Diner_. He smiled, having heard of the place from Bex. She said when she visited him, they had to go. Of course, first she had to make it to New York for them to go.

"You really sure you want to hang out here all day while I work?" she asked, looking up at him. "I mean, I doubt that is going to be very fun for you."

"Spending any time with you is fun for me," he said, making her blush. "Plus, I gotta check out the new lead for whatever show you're in. I'm not going to waste my money to see it if the main girl sucks," he teased.

Rachel stuck her tongue out at him before they both headed inside. A blonde waitress was walking around the tables, finishing up the last part of a pop song Puck had never heard before. The patrons were all applauding as she took a bow, collecting the check from one of her tables as she headed towards the back of the restaurant.

Rachel turned to him, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. "Go take a seat by the bar. If you tell Kelly you are with me, she will give you anything you ask for. I will try to stop over when I have time. And, if you get bored and decide to leave, I promise not to get offended." She gave him a smile before turning on her heel and heading to the back, waving to a few of the other servers as she passed them.

Puck headed to the bar, taking a seat on one of the empty stools. He ordered a beer as he relaxed, preparing himself for the show.

* * *

"Okay lady, spill."

Rachel looked up, tucking the tip her last table had left her into her apron, and into the eyes of Mercedes Jones, fellow waitress and aspiring singer. Mercedes and Rachel had been hired at the same time, and they'd been friends ever since. The two were around the same age and had a lot in common. Mercedes was a curvy girl originally from Jamaica, who was now busy writing songs and trying to make it big without much success. She and Rachel would grab a drink with a few of their other coworkers every so often.

"Spill about what?" Rachel asked, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear. She was eagerly anticipating the end of her shift, ready to have a few drinks and talk to Puck again instead of deliver hamburgers to bratty children.

"Spill on the white guy you walked in with who stares at you every time you brush past him."

Rachel's pale face turned bright red and she turned away from Mercedes, pretending to fix her apron as she waited for her face to cool down. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Bullshit," came another voice. Santana Lopez was another waitress Rachel had formed a friendship with. The lesbian Latina tended to speak her mind and didn't care about hurting other people's feelings. "Kelly said he keeps asking about you."

"She told you that? I am surprised she had time. I thought you two usually spent your breaks sucking face," Rachel teased, eager to get the attention off her and onto one of the other girls.

"Stop changing the subject. Who is he, and more importantly, does he have a single brother you could set me up with?" Mercedes laughed.

"No, the more important question is how is the sex? Because with a guy that looks like that, it has to be amazing," Santana interjected.

"Tana!" Rachel gasped, her face going bright red once more. "For all you know, he could be my brother."

"No, he's not. You said you're an only child. Plus, the way he looks at you makes me assume you two are definitely banging. So spill. Where'd you meet your cum chum?"

"My _what_?" Rachel gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Mercedes proceeded to laugh, earning them a confused look from a few of the other waiters.

"Fine, your fuck buddy, same thing."

"He is _not_ a fuck buddy!" Rachel insisted a little too loudly, causing a mother bringing her son to the bathroom to shoot her a dirty look. Rachel's face went red again as she turned her back to the restaurant, lowering her voice. "I do not know why you would assume that."

"Hey, I never said that was a bad thing. You've been needing to get laid since the rockstar dumped your ass, and he's the perfect guy to rebound with. Hell, someone like him could make me decide to go straight again for the day."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Regardless, he is not a fuck buddy. He is a boyfriend!" she hissed.

"Oh, hell fucking yeah," Mercedes grinned. "About damn time. We've been waiting for you to stop moping around and actually date someone. Does this mean since he'd here watching your every move he's coming out with us later?"

"Is that alright?" Rachel asked timidly. She never used to bring Sam with her (mainly because he didn't want to go), so she wasn't quite sure if it was okay for her to bring someone who didn't work with them.

"Of course it is. We have to interrogate him, after all. Make sure he's worth of being your boyfriend."

"And worthy of being in your bed," Santana added with a wink.

Rachel rolled her eyes as Jeff, the official song-selector of _Ellen's_, motioned to her that it was her turn to sing. She waved to Mercedes and Santana before appearing at Jeff's side, taking the microphone from him.

"Next up we have the resident diva, Miss Rachel Berry. Sadly, she's going to be leaving us soon and moving on to bigger and better things, so you all need to get your fill of her now." Rachel laughed a little, giving him a small shove before taking the three stairs up so she was standing on the divider between the two halves of the restaurant. "Joining her will be the very talented Hank Saunders."

Her eyes scanned over to the bar before the music started, finding Puck. She'd been at work for nearly five hours, yet he was still sitting there, watching her with as much interest as he had the first time she'd gotten up to sing. Hank got up beside her, looking down at her. "You ready?" he whispered.

"Born ready," she said with a grin as the music started.

_[RACHEL] Okay, can I just, say something crazy?_

**_[HANK] I love crazy!_**

_All my life has been a series of doors in my face_  
_ And then suddenly I bump into you_

**_I was thinking the same thing! 'Cause like_**  
**_ I've been searching my whole life to find my own place_**  
**_ And maybe it's the party talking or the chocolate fondue_**

Rachel reached her hand up to her mouth and giggled a little, backing up slightly as he followed her.

_ But with you..._  
**_But with you_**  
**_I found my place..._**  
_I see your face..._

_ [BOTH] And it's nothing like I've ever known before!_  
_ Love is an open door!_  
_ Love is an open door!_  
_ Love is an open door!_

_With you!_  
_**With you!**_  
_With you!_  
**_With you!_**

_[BOTH] Love is an open door..._

**_I mean it's crazy..._**  
_What?_

**_We finish each other's-_**  
_Sandwiches!_

Most of the patrons laughed at that. Puck even found himself chuckling, more over Rachel's enthusiasm. She didn't look like she was just singing a song at her job. She looked like she was the character singing the song, truly enjoying what she was doing.

**_That's what I was gonna say!_**

_I've never met someone-_

_ [BOTH] Who thinks so much like me!_  
_ Jinx! Jinx again!_  
_ Our mental synchronization_  
_ Can have but one explanation_

**_You-_**  
_And I-  
**Were-**_  
_Just-_

_[BOTH]_ _Meant to be!_

_Say goodbye..._  
**_Say goodbye..._**

_ [BOTH] To the pain of the past_  
_ We don't have to feel it anymore!_  
_ Love is an open door!_  
_ Love is an open door!_  
_ Life can be so much more!_

_With you!_  
**_With you!_**  
_With you!_  
**_With you!_**

_[BOTH] Love is an open door..._

**_Can I say something crazy?_**  
**_ Will you marry me?_**

_Can I say something even crazier? Yes!_

The song ended and everyone applauded, most of the little girls giggling as they recognized the song from _Frozen_. Rachel waved to a few of her customers as she hoped down from the divider, going right back to work. Puck watched her take a few orders and drop a check off, collecting the tip from a table that had left.

He reached back, sipping his beer. Okay, so it was kind of boring sitting here and waiting while she worked, but at least it was entertaining. The people who worked here were really talented, and he was totally taking his mom here next time she visited. She would love it.

After another hour of sitting and watching Rachel wait tables, she emerged from the back with two darker-skinned girls and Kelly, the bartender who had been supplying him with beer all evening. Each of them had changed, still in their black skirts but with different shirts on, obviously ready to go out for the night.

Rachel had changed into a hot pink shirt that bared her perfectly toned stomach. Her hair was still up in a ponytail, her bag slung over her back. Mercedes had changed into a white t-shirt that had the back all cut up, her hair in a side braid. Santana was in a low-cut white tank top that ended just above her belly button. Kelly had on a red lacy top that bared her midriff.

Rachel came up and stopped in front of Puck while the rest of the girls hung back, pretending not to watch them. "Well, now that I have thoroughly bored you for more than five hours, ready to have some fun?"

Puck rolled his eyes at her, slapping some money on the counter as he rose to his feet. "I was not bored," he insisted, even i he kind of was. "It was fun watching you sing, even if you were a little pitchy in that last song," he teased, slipping his arm around her shoulders. That seemed like a very boyfriend thing to do. He didn't want to admit how natural and _good_ it felt holding her close like this, though.

"Obviously you need to go to your otolaryngologist because my performances tonight were flawless, like usual," she insisted.

"My what?" he asked as they approached her friends.

"Ear doctor," she explained, smiling at her three coworkers. "Everyone, this is Noah, though he would prefer you call him Puck. I refuse to because I am stubborn. Noah, this is Mercedes and Santana," she said, pointing to each girl. "And you have already met Kelly."

"I'm shocked you're coming out with us," Santana said as they headed for the door, walking out of the restaurant and into the cool night. "With Kitty out of town, I'd have thought you two would be going back to Rachel's and having an all-night sex fest."

"Santana!" Rachel squealed, her face going red.

"What? I'm just saying, when Kelly's roommate is away visiting her boyfriend, the two of us don't leave the bedroom for anything." She grabbed the hand of the tall brunette, pulling her in for a kiss. "How far is this place, M? I need to get my drink on."

"It's a few blocks up and two streets over. Trust me, it's worth it," Mercedes called, leading the small group. Kelly and Santana walked behind her, hand in hand, while Rachel and Puck held up the rear, his arm still around her.

"They seem...interesting," he murmured to her. "You sure you're okay with me hanging with them for the night?" he asked.

Rachel nodded her head. "I am positive. They are going to love you. They already told me they think you are hot, though I get the feeling most women feel that way," she said, her cheeks blushing in the dark.

"Oh, so you're saying you think I'm hot?" he teased, poking her in the side.

Rachel laughed a little, swatting his arm off her. Puck reached down and took her hand instead, smiling to himself. "I never said that," she insisted. "I was just pointing out that you have certain features that could be appealing to women."

"Okay, you think I'm hot. Just admit it, baby It'll be easier," he taunted.

"Okay fine. I am madly in love with you, Noah Puckerman. How can I help myself? I mean, you are just oh so attractive," she joked.

"Knew it," he said, pulling out his phone to check for messages. Obviously, since Rachel was with him and not in her apartment, he had none. Instead, he opened his photo app and held his phone up, pointing it towards her. "Smile," he teased.

Rachel grinned widely, showing her teeth while her eyes closed from her enthusiasm. The flash went up as Puck snapped the picture and he laughed as he got a look at it. "Let me see," Rachel demanded. "I must approve of all photographs taken of me before they may be seen by others." She held her hand out expectantly.

Puck rolled his eyes at her. "Diva," he accused, handing his phone over. Rachel looked over the picture critically as they reached 53rd street and turned left, heading in the direction of 8th avenue.

"Hmm, the lighting could be better, but all in all, it is a decent picture of moi," she decided, handing him back his phone. "You may keep it, though if you would like a picture to show to people when you state you have a significant other, I possess many more that are far superior to that one you just snapped," she said, holding his hand a little tighter as they crossed the street.

Puck smiled at that, but let the smile fall from his face when she turned her head to look at him once more. She had pulled out her phone and was holding it up. He didn't even have a moment to react until she took the picture, giggling as she got a look a it.

"I must approve all pictures," he taunted as she handed over her phone to give him a look at the picture. He looked half drunk, half stoned. He wasn't really paying attention when she took the photo and was looking off to the side. Hell, he'd had worse pictures taken of him, plus he still managed to look hot if he did say so himself.

"Well?" she prompted as they came to a stop at the corner, Mercedes, Kelly, and Santana already across the street.

"Damn I look good," he teased. Rachel looked up at him and stuck her tongue out at him before starting across the street, having gotten the 'walk' sign from the light. "Glad to see you agree too," he laughed.

"I am totally sending that to Kurt," Rachel laughed, taking her phone back from him. "Then he can stop blowing up my inbox with demands to see what you look like," she said, attaching the picture to a message and sending it on to Kurt. The phone beeped a moment later with his response.

**_Sexy. Can't wait to meet him._**

Rachel showed it to Puck who laughed. "See? I got the GBF seal of approval. Proves I'm hot and you just refuse to admit it."

"Hurry up, lovebirds!" Santana called from the front door of a divey-looking bar. "I left work nearly half an hour ago and I still haven't had a drink." Rachel and Puck, still with hands clasped together, hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. They walked through a door with a sign above saying _Bar Nine_.

It was like no place Rachel had ever been before. Towards the left there was a stage where some statuesque blonde attempted to sing karaoke, though was doing a pretty bad job at it. The back was filled with couches, most of them occupied with people who were lounging and drinking at the same time. There were plenty of tables with dining customers and an open area in the center filled with people dancing to the music.

"Quick, let's grab a couch before there are none left," Mercedes said, quickly walking towards an empty couch to the right. She flopped onto it, claiming it for them. Santana took a seat with Kelly perched on her lap. Puck sat down first, Rachel taking a seat right beside him. Their hands broke apart and Puck placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

A tall waiter dropped off a stack of menus, promising to be back shorty and take their drink orders. Puck grabbed a menu for the both of them to share, the two of them perusing over the various drink options for them.

When their waiter returned, Puck ordered a beer while Rachel chose a margarita. The rest of the group ordered and their waiter, named Theo, promised to put their orders right in, walking away to tend to another table.

"So, Puck," Mercedes said, leaning forward a little as she put her attention on him. "What do you do?"

Rachel placed a hand against his chest and rubbed it slightly, shocked with how natural the gesture felt. She'd known him less than a week, yet she realized how comfortable she was beginning to feel around him.

"I'm a teacher," he said. "I teach high school chemistry in Brooklyn, and shockingly I don't actually hate my job. School's out on Wednesday, so for the summer I'll be tutoring, teaching swim lessons, and teaching guitar."

"You play guitar?" Rachel asked, sitting up a little to look at him.

"Well sure. I have most of my life. Not to toot my own horn, but I am pretty good at it," he said, leaning back as he placed his arms behind his head.

"Do you happen to have a single brother? Hell, I'd even settle for a cousin," Mercedes joked, causing everyone to laugh.

"Sadly no. My only brother is married with a kid on the way."

"What a shame," Mercedes mused.

Theo came back with their drinks, asking if they wanted anything to eat. The group decided they weren't very hungry and were just going to stick with drinks for now. Rachel turned to Mercedes after taking a sip of her margarita. "Oh Cedes, you never told me how that meeting last week went."

"Miserable. They said the song was shit and I was not what they were looking for in a new singer. Guess I'll just be stuck waiting tables my whole life. They didn't even let me record a demo of it. They took one look at me and decided they were going to hate it."

Puck looked a little confused at the conversation so Rachel turned to him, her hands never parting from his body. "Mercedes is trying to make it in music. Her voice is killer and she has written some really amazing songs. She had a meeting last week with some execs from Empire Records about them producing one of her songs, but it did not work out," Rachel said sadly. "Which is a big shame because that song is going to be a hit."

"Was," Mercedes corrected. "It can't be a hit if no one ever hears it. And based on that meeting, I doubt anyone will ever hear it," she said, looking a little glum at that thought. Rachel couldn't blame her. She'd been in that state for the past few years, getting turned away at every audition.

"Well, Kitty's step-dad knows people and has connections. When she gets back from Paris, maybe I could see if he knows anyone who could at least record a single?" she suggested, rubbing Puck's upper thigh gently, enjoying sitting so close to him with his arms around her.

"I could never ask you to do that," Mercedes said, her dark skin growing flushed.

"Really, it is no big deal," Rachel promised, sitting forward a little. "I was about two seconds away from asking her step-dad to hook me up with a bit part on a TV show before I got the call. I would be honored to see if he could do something. All I ask in return is you to thank me in your first Grammy acceptance speech," she teased, leaning back again. Puck's arm tightened around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's a deal," Mercedes promised, grabbing her drink off the short table in front of them, taking a long sip.

Rachel rose to her feet, looking at everyone. "Shots then? To celebrate Mercedes' future Grammy win. Noah and I will get them. Come on, lover," she said, pulling him to his feet.

Puck looked at the other girls, shrugging his shoulders as he got up and followed Rachel, his hands in hers.

"She just wants to make out with him," Kelly giggled, turning Santana's face towards her and planting a kiss on her lips while Mercedes rolled her eyes, sipping on her drink and observing the other people in the bar.

Puck trailed behind Rachel through the crowd until they reached the bar, sliding up beside her with his arm around her waist as she found a free area. He watched her wave down a bartender and order five shots, turning to face him while they waited.

"So, your friends don't seem to hate me," he commented, smiling down at her. "They actually seem to love me, not that I blame them. I am quite lovable, after all." Rachel stuck her tongue out at him in response. "You keep doing that and I'm going to think you want me to kiss you," he teased, laughing as Rachel's face went red.

She opened her mouth to say something, but a girl knocked into Puck, spilling a little bit of her drink on him. "Oh I'm so sorry, I was...Puck?" Puck froze, hearing the delicate voice. He got a look at the girl and felt his stomach drop, taking in the small Asian girl's appearance. She was slim with skin that was both pale and tan at the same time. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in well-defined waves. Her slim figure was clothed with a sleeveless red blouse and black jeans, heeled ankle boots on her feet. An expensive bag was hanging from her arm and a sparkling diamond ring was on her left hand.

Off all the bars in New York, his ex _had_ to be at the one he was in. What luck.

"Tina," he said quietly, shocked he was even able to get that out. He was frozen in his spot, staring at the woman who six months earlier had ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped it into the ground.

"Wow, what a surprise," she said, waving over his head at someone. He turned to see where she was waving but just saw a mass of people. "What are you doing here? Wait, what am I saying, you're probably here with friends. Where's Finn and Artie? It's been months since I've seen them," she said, looking around.

Rachel, oblivious to what was going on, was giving the bartender a tip as he handed her a small tray with five shots on it, turning to find Puck talking to a beautiful Asian girl. She felt her face heat as jealousy surged through her, reminding herself he wasn't her real boyfriend to stop herself from throwing the tray at her.

"Oh, they're not here," Puck said, scratching the back of his neck. "I have other friends, you know." At that, Rachel appeared at his side, the small tray of shots resting on her arms.

Tina took a look at her and smiled. "Oh, thank you. I need another vodka cranberry when you have a chance." She held up her empty cup apologetically, and Rachel tried not to get offended. After all, she _was_ a waitress, just not at this particular place.

Puck placed an arm around her, pulling her closer. "Like this one here."

Tina scoffed. "You're friends with the waitress?"

"Actually, I am not a waitress. Not here, at least. My name is Rachel," she said, balancing the tray on one arm while she extended the other towards Tina, shaking her hand once.

""My girlfriend," Puck tacked on at the end.

"_This_ is your girlfriend?" Tina asked incredulously. "Wow, I would have never guessed," she mused.

Rachel's face flushed again as she registered Tina's vague insult. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked as Puck placed an arm in front of her, casually separating the two girls, just in case.

"Nothing, just that Puck normally goes for classy girls. You know, girls who wear more than a toddler's shirt to a bar," she said with a smirk.

Rachel let out a gasp and before she could say anything, Puck had given her a gentle shove in the direction of her friends, promising he'd be there soon. "You know that was uncalled for," he said once Rachel had left. "Now she's going to be pissed all night, thanks for that. I'm going to go back and hang with my girlfriend, and I hope I never run into you like this again." Without another word and without listening to her pitiful apologies, Puck turned on his heel, heading back to where Rachel and her friends were sitting, a shot glass in front of each of them.

Puck took a seat next to Rachel again while the other three girls stared at him. "Sorry, long line at the bar," he fibbed, holding his glass up. "To Mercedes and her future singing career then, yeah?"

Everyone drained their glasses, setting them back on the table with a clink. Mercedes and the other two decided to get up and dance for awhile after that, leaving Rachel and Puck alone on the couch. Rachel had grown very quiet after the interaction with Tina, and Puck was praying she hadn't taken what Tina said to heart.

"You're not still thinking about what my ex said, are you? Because she's full of shit. You're like, the classiest girl I've ever met. You speak like you're a princess or something, which is kind of freaky at times," he teased, which caused her to laugh. "Seriously, ignore Tina. I don't know why she said that to you, but she's wrong." He reached down, taking her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. "I'm honored to pretend someone as classy as you is my girlfriend."

Rachel blushed a little. "Well, I still cannot help but feel a little embarrassed. I mean, she is a little right. This shirt does appear to belong to a child, not someone who is approaching 28 years."

"Hey, I like the shirt," he said, pulling her closer. His hand rested on her right hip as she kept her body angled towards him. "It's really sexy, you know."

"Hey mister, save that kind of talk for when there are others around. They are the ones who need convincing that we are in love," she said, turning her head away as she tried to cool her face down, not wanting to admit how much she was responding to his words.

"Right," he said with a nod, his voice a little dejected. "Well, since you don't want me cheering you up anymore, how about we do the next best thing?" He waved down a waiter, ordering another round of shots. "We drink until even the nastiest British insults don't hurt."

Rachel laughed, leaning against him once more. "Sounds like a plan, Mister Puckerman."


	6. The Morning After

**AN: Yes, these two are idiots and are going to refuse to believe the other one likes them as much as they like each other. Also, this is a short filer chapter. Next up is Rachel's first rehearsal, some bonding with the cast, and hanging out with Puck's friends before the big Miami trip!**

A splitting headache woke Puck up in the morning, causing him to sit straight up in bed which just made things worse. He'd been good most of the night until he had that first shot, then things started to get fuzzy. In fact, he really couldn't remember much after that. He wasn't even sure what time he got home. Or _how_ he got home for that matter.

Looking around, he was pretty sure he wasn't home. This was not his room, that much was definite. There was too much color and not enough band posters (or mess) for this to be his room. In addition, the bed was too comfortable to be his.

He glanced down, glad to see he was still wearing pants. He was still dressed in his clothing from the day before, dark pants and a polo shirt. His shoes were sitting on the floor next to whomevers bed he was in. The distinct odor of something greasy and delicious being fried wafted in through the door which was open just a crack. The lights sound of music also came through the door, though he couldn't tell what was playing.

With a groan, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, looking around the room. There were framed posters of obscure shows and movies he'd never heard of before. To the left, there was a desk with a computer on it, a small pile of papers resting atop the keyboard. On the wall behind the desk, there was a cluster of framed photos, all of different people. He looked closer at the one of a high school-aged brunette girl in a long blue dress. Her hair was done up nicely and there was a flower on her wrist. She was standing beside a tall, slightly awkward looking boy who was in a suit with a flower pinned to his lapel.

Holy shit, he was in Rachel's room. More specifically, he'd woken up in her bed with no memory of how he'd ended up there, and he was pretty sure the smells coming into her room were from her making him breakfast. The scariest part of all of this was that is wasn't scary at all, that he liked the idea of waking up in her bed with her making him something to eat.

He pushed her door open and wandered into the hall, knowing for sure he was in her apartment now. He remembered the color of the walls from yesterday. He peaked around the corner and spied Rachel standing in front of the stove, humming along to the music and shaking her hips while she cooked what he assumed was bacon based on the smell. On the counter beside her was a plate of pancakes, golden brown and ready to be eaten.

He smiled as he watched the scene in front of him. Rachel had a radio sitting on the counter by her and it was playing some song he'd never heard before probably from some musical he'd never heard of. She had a spatula in her right hand and was pushing the bacon around in the frying pan, listening to it crackle as the grease popped.

Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun sitting on top of her head. She was wearing a tee shirt that was a good two sizes to big for her, and a pair of sweatpants that hung loosely on her body.

Rachel turned around, apparently having heard the floorboards creaking as he walked down the hall. "Finally, Sleeping Beauty awakens," she teased. "I was wondering if you were someone who woke up early or slept in after a night of drinking. Apparently, you are the latter. I am making breakfast. I hope you are hungry!" she said pleasantly, not even acknowledging the fact that he spent last night in her bed.

"So," Puck said, taking a seat at her kitchen table. "Is there a reason I spent last night sleeping in your bed? I mean, did we..."

Rachel covered her mouth as she shook her head. "Oh, goodness no. What kind of girl do you think I am, Noah? We have the relationship agreement for a reason, so we do not fall into bed with one another," she explained, putting a few pancakes and some bacon on a plate before setting it in front of him at the table. "You were incredibly drunk and I did no trust you to find your way home, so I brought you here. I camped out on the couch and put you in my room where you essentially passed out as soon as your head hit the mattress."

"Glad to know I made such a great impression on your friends," he muttered, feeling a little embarrassed. He never got that drunk. He blamed Tina for that. If he hadn't run into her and if she hadn't made Rachel feel like complete and utter shit, he would never have felt the need to keep drinking and get so hammered that Rachel had to carry him back to her place.

"Do not worry, they adored you," she promised. "I switched to water at a certain point, so I was slightly sober by the time we headed back. Mercedes was saying that I needed to bring you out more with us since you are a ball of fun. Even Santana said you did not suck, which is a compliment coming from her. You getting smashed just showed them you know how to have a good time," she said, making a plate of food for herself as she took a seat at the table beside him.

"Well, if I do go out with you guys again, I'm instituting a strict no-alcohol policy on myself. My head feels like it's about to split open," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Though this bacon might help. Grease and caffeine always seems to do the trick when I have a wicked hangover."

"Well, coffee is in the pot if you would like some. Please help yourself since it's only me drinking it with Kitty out of town. You know, despite your ex insulting me and you becoming a useless drunk, I actually had a lot of fun last night. Thank you," she murmured, looking down at her lap as she played with her hands. "Sam never wanted to hang out with me and my friends when we were together."

Puck reached a hand across the table, grabbing her left hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. "Hy, it was my pleasure. I only ever go out with the guy, so it was a nice change hanging out with your friends instead of the idiots I consider to be mine."

"Hey, do not call my ex-boyfriend an idiot," she teased, lacing their fingers together. Neither of them pulled their hand away, both of them very comfortable with their hands joined together. Rachel kept thinking how nice it felt with her small hand enclosed in his larger one.

"I can't lie, you know," he joked, sliding his chair closer to hers so they were next to one another instead of sitting across the table from one another. Puck opened his mouth to say something else when the door to the apartment opened and Kitty walked in, looking very unlike herself.

Every time he'd seen Kitty, she was put together impeccably. Puck knew her step-dad was loaded and her mom had a lot from all her divorces, so all of her clothes were expensive. Walking through the door, she looked sloppy and unkempt. Her blonde hair was tangled, her hairband askew. She had on a pair of thick black glasses versus the contacts she normally had in. The makeup on her face had clearly been applied hours ago and it looked as though she'd fallen asleep during that time. Her black pants were wrinkled and he was pretty sure the ruffle on the front of her blouse was torn.

Rachel seemed to be taken aback by her roommate's appearance. She pulled her hand out of Puck's and hopped to her feet, her face a little red at the position she'd caught them in. "Kitty? I thought you were in Paris all weekend. What are you doing back?" Rachel asked, catching sight of her bags sitting by the door.

"Early end to the trip. I'd love to stay and chat but I'm beat. Bye." She kept her words short, very unlike Kitty. Rachel stared after her as her roommate headed down the hall to her room, pulling her luggage behind her. There was a creak and a click as her door shut behind her. Rachel heard the sound of her music playing, meaning she was talking to her mother about something and didn't want Rachel hearing.

Puck looked at Rachel, an eyebrow arched, confused as to what had just happened. "Do not ask," Rachel said, reading his expression correctly. "I am sure I will end up getting the entire story later. It is probably something like she spilled a glass of red wine on her favorite dress and needed to return home," she said, placing a hand in front of her mouth as she giggled.

"Speaking of home, I should be heading there. I have to finish writing my final by tomorrow or my kids will be sitting there twiddling their thumbs, and I'll probably end up fired for it. Give me a call later today or tomorrow about this weekend, alright?"

Rachel nodded her head, watching him rise to his feet from her table. "Sounds like a plan. And, thank you for coming last night. I really had a good time."

Puck smiled at her, leaning close and giving her a hug, one that lingered a little longer than it should have. "Don't worry about it. I actually had a great time, too."

"Well, I suppose I will see you later then," she said, wishing he didn't have to leave.

"Yeah, see ya," he said, pulling open her door and walking out, ignoring the thought in his head that told him to go right back in. No, she had made it very clear. This was fake, and even if his feelings for her were starting to become real, he wouldn't act on them just to get shot down.

Rachel watched the door swing shut and wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to hold herself together. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Noah was just _pretending _to be her boyfriend, so why was her face on fire when he pulled her into a hug? Why was she left wanting more after her left, and why was she trembling with anticipation, unable to wait for the next time she would see him?

She didn't know why. She just knew she was growing more and more excited for the trip to Miami as the minutes passed.

* * *

It was close to dinner by the time Kitty finally emerged from her room. Rachel had been sitting in the living room for most of the day, reading over her script and rehearsing her lines. She had most of her part down but was having trouble remembering her lines from the last two scenes, which just happened to be the most important and emotionally charged scenes in the entire show. Of course she would have to have problems with them.

Rachel was sending a text to Puck when Kitty walked into the kitchen. In between memorizing her lines, Rachel had been attempting to convince Puck that _Survivor _ was a quality television show, but he kept insisting it had absolutely no redeeming qualities.

**_It does too! What other show teaches you survival skills? None!_**

"So, since Puckerman was here this morning for breakfast, I'll take that to mean you got something last night. And if you didn't, I'm going to start questioning your sexuality," Kitty said, a glass of water in her hand.

Rachel's face flushed as she dropped her phone back on the couch beside her. "Nothing happened last night. That does not make me a lesbian or even bisexual, it just means I am not prepared to jump into bed with a man I just met a few days ago."

"Why the hell not? He's hot, you're hot. It's obvious you're both into each other, so why not give into that and fuck him senseless? If he's posing as your boyfriend, you might as well make it a full-service job. The least he could do would be clean your vag out of any little bits of asshole left lingering there."

Rachel's face was more red than it had ever been before. "I am never speaking to you again. I am not going to let him into my bed just because you think I need to get laid!"

Kitty laughed, leaping onto the couch next to Rachel. "I'm just trying to look out for you, girlie. Some mindless sex is good for the soul."

"Why don't you take your own advice? It has been two years since Ben moved to Thailand and dumped your ass, and I have never even seen you go on a date."

Kitty's face paled. "I'm different," she said vaguely, shutting down the topic entirely. "So what have you been up to all day while I've been sleeping off my jet lag?"

Rachel held up her script which had been sitting in her lap for the past eight hours. "Memorizing lines so I do not look like an inexperienced actress on my first day of rehearsals. I have most of them down, but I am having some trouble with the last little bit, which just happens to be the most important part of the show."

"Let me help," Kitty said, gesturing to Rachel to hand over her script. Rachel hugged it to her chest. "I'm not going to run to the press with it, I swear. I just want to help one of my best friends be prepared for her first day of rehearsals."

Rachel sighed, handing it to her. "If I see anything about it in the paper, I will make it so your body is never found."

"Noted," Kitty laughed, reading over the lines on the page. "So I assume I'm reading Christian's parts, then?"

Rachel nodded her head. "Obviously. I want to go from the finale song and then the little bit of dialogue after it. That is the bit I keep having problems with. I want you to be brutally honest with how horrible I am, understand?"

Kitty nodded her head, internally rolling her eyes. Rachel was one of the best actresses and singers she had met in her life, yet she was always so insecure about her performances, which was probably why she was so good. She rehearsed until she had no energy left, which led to her blowing everyone else out of the water. Kitty suspected this show she would be no different.

_Never knew I could feel like this_  
_ It's like I've never seen the sky before_  
_ Want to vanish inside your kiss_  
_ Every day I'm loving you more and more_

_Listen to my heart can you hear it sing?  
Come back to me and **forgive **everything!_

Rachel placed both her hands over her heart and let out a gasp like she was short of breath. She looked up and Kitty saw she was completely in character. Rachel Berry wasn't in the room anymore. The only person here with Kitty was Satine the courtesan.

_Seasons may change winter to spring  
I love you, til the end of time._

Kitty sung all of the male lead's parts, adding in the little bits of dialogue when necessary. Like always, she was in awe of Rachel as she performed. Some people said they wanted to be an actor but didn't have the talent to back it up. Rachel was not one of those people. She could be playing King George and truly make you believe she really was him.

After the song had finished, Rachel laid down on the couch, her head in Kitty's lap. Kitty set the script off to the side so she could still read off the lines she needed to say.

"I'm sorry, Christian. I'm dying," Rachel moaned, looking up at Kitty.

"No, you'll be alright," Kitty read.

"I'm so sorry, Christian. I'm sorry." She paused for a moment. "I'm cold. Hold me." She paused again, coughing violently. "You've got to carry on without me, Christian."

"I can't carry on without you."

"You have so much to give."

"No."

"Yes. Tell our story, Christian."

"I love you."

"Tell our story, Christian. That way I'll always be with you."

Rachel rose back up to her feet, looking disappointed with herself. Kitty could almost hear her critiquing everything she thought she did wrong. "Okay, I am ready. Let's hear it."

Kitty pretended to think for a couple of minutes before she opened her mouth. "Hello Tony's."


End file.
